Fate: Second Battlefield
by HardcoreHamster
Summary: As Shirou Emiya was enveloped by death, he wondered if he became a hero. He then realized he had been summoned as a second Archer in the Great Holy Grail War. In this unfamiliar and odd war, he will fight alongside the Black Faction, and finally be reunited with Artoria. The Hero of Justice steps onto the stage! (Takes place in Fate/Apocrypha with minor changes to Shirou)
1. Prologue

Prologue

. . . . . . . .

The rope which was digging into my neck and crushing my esophagus was extremely firm. I had hoped that the sudden snap would kill me, but as luck would have it, my sturdy body held up and now I was slowly being strangled. I tried not to gasp for air which would prolong the inevitable, but my body fought my will and I managed a tiny, miniscule gasp of air before the pain started all over again.

Besides the rope digging into my neck, I had numerous other injuries along my body. An arm was definitely broken, numerous bruises were scattered across my body, my left eye was swollen shut and bleeding profusely, and many of my teeth were either cracked or missing. The tatters which couldn't even be called clothes anymore barely hung to my body.

I struggled to gain any kind of vision in my right eye and fought through the blood and tears to finally make out one figure within a crowd of cheering people. His face was genuinely satisfied happy like he had just completed a job with his own two hands and determination. He looked like a rabid dog and his eyes mocked me as they bore into my sorrowful figure. This man was truly what one would call evil.

Through the gasping and choking I managed a sardonic snarl, which the man noticed and was visibly shocked by.

The reason I was smiling was quite simple and kind of was like a line from a really cheesy hero movie.

"I've faced more evil things than you," I gargled out. He didn't hear it and calmed his nerves, returning to an all the same calmer expression, albeit one which didn't hold as much glee as it did earlier.

I closed my eye again. How long have I been hanging here? Seconds? Minutes? I know it's not something like hours because a third-rate magus like me could never accomplish something like that. Yes, by all means, I could never do that; I'm a failure by any magus' standards.

While pondering how long it had been, I reminisced over the events that led me to this point.

. . . . . . . .

The sirens in the air were melting my head. I have already surpassed my limit. Any further and I would die. I could feel death just around the corner and still I pushed on.

The people which lied at my feet were still unconscious and the reactor could go off at any second. There had to be at least a hundred civilians left on the premises and if I didn't stop this they would die. My circuits were burning from all of the projections I was forced to do earlier. Getting through the perpetrators of the meltdown proved to be more of an arduous task than I thought. It also took a great deal of effort to dull the edges of my blades as to not kill them; they would receive capital punishment later.

As I entered the control room, the reactor was exuding extremely thick smoke which stung the open wounds on my arms. There were several control panels around the room with screens on the walls. I'm not a genius, but when they're all flashing red I'm pretty sure that means bad.

As I glanced over many buttons and screens, I realized that there was no way I would be able to shut this down. I was out of energy and already one foot in the ground. I had no idea how to work any of this, even with Structural Analysis. There would be no way to destroy it without blowing this place to kingdom come. I was positively screwed.

I collapsed to the ground on my knees in defeat. I tried. I really did, but there was nothing I could do. This kind of thing always happens. I'm being held back by my limitations and I'm not going to be able to save anyone.

Despair washed over me and I closed my eyes in defeat, waiting for the end.

It was at that moment when, from out of thin air, a brilliant and radiant, bluish light flashed in front of me. The light's entrance was sudden and violent, but when it remained in that one spot where it formed, the light flowed and danced calmly like waves. The world slowed to a crawl and darkened, the alarms becoming only dull echoes.

The sheer amount of awe in my eyes was only matched when I felt it speak. It didn't speak in the normal sense of giving out sound, but seemed to speak by giving off certain signals into my head which formed into words.

" _Do you want the power to protect and save these people?"_

The light extended forward in a thin line, only branching out at the tips, mimicking a hand.

" _I can give it to you, if you sacrifice your afterlife to me. As you are now, you wouldn't be able to save a single person here."_

The line of light touched my tan forehead and soon other lines of light gently caressed my body. They branched out in a vein like pattern over my body and I felt a warm sense of love wash over me. It reminded me of the warm feeling I got when I stared into Saber's eyes. It was the feeling of " _everything is going to be alright."_

" _All you have to do is agree to the terms of the contact and I'll give you miraculous powers."_

I focused on the center of the light and knew my answer immediately.

"You would give me miraculous powers, huh? Sorry, but what kind of hero would I be if I couldn't save people with my own power. I'm going to save these people with the little strength I have left."

The light sat and flowed calmly just as it did before my answer. The silence was deafening and the alarms echoed lowly in the background.

" _If you are to reject my immense kindness as such, then I shall make it sure that you die in a brutal and nightmarish way, alone with no one to come to your side and comfort you. You will be alone until the utter end."_

"I'm fine with that. After all, heroes aren't supposed to have happy endings. I learned that a long time ago."

The light was still calm.

" _So be it. You seemed promising Shirou Emiya."_

The light disappeared in a violent flash, the world resumed normal motion, and the blaring alarms filled my ears again. The warm comfort was gone and with that, the pain of my injuries returned, renewing my focus on the task at hand.

I turned back at the hallway which I entered through, taking notice of the unconscious people lying motionless there. I didn't know them and had no reason to save them, but I just felt like I had to. If Rin were here, she'd definitely be calling me an idiot by now.

I got up off my knees and stared down the reactor. I raised my right arm and firmly secured it with my left. All of the mana was being sucked from the air around me as I spoke.

" **I am the bone of my sword."**

. . . . . . . .

Back in the present, I was still choking and sputtering. As I came out of my little daydream, I noticed my vision had grown significantly darker. My eye was open, but I still couldn't see. The cheers and sounds from the spectating crowd had now grown more distant.

After stopping the meltdown, the people who had started it had me arrested and I was convicted as a traitor. The man who was taking great joy by watching me slowly die was the actual bad guy here. The event had made worldwide news, branding me as the mastermind of a great plot which almost claimed the lives of one hundred innocents and forty armed security personnel. The reason I'm being choked by the rope digging into my neck right now is because today is the day of my execution.

I got another miniscule gasp of air and a little of my vision returned. I looked lazily at the crowd and my eye snapped open at the sight of a certain someone in front of me. She had tears in her eyes and she was wearing her signature red sweater, even in the smoldering, desert heat. It was probably to help me recognize her. We didn't exchange words or even a slight gesture, just two and a half seconds of meaningful stares. My vision darkened again and she was gone.

It seems that mysterious light was wrong. There was someone to comfort me at the end of it all.

I have no doubt she knows I'm not guilty.

I also have no doubt she would reassure Fuji-nee and Sakura of this fact along with taking care of them.

Oh, I wonder how the children from the village are doing. Matin is probably drinking his daily milk like I told him to. If not his little sister would beat the snot out of him.

When did the crowd go silent? When did my injuries stop hurting?

Am I dying?

It seems that way.

Even as I'm seconds away from death, I strangely still hold no animosity towards the traitors or humanity.

I feel freedom and bliss. I feel calm, like I'm staring deeply into Saber's loving eyes and being held by her strong yet gentle arms.

. . .

. . .

Tell me…

Did I achieve it?

"Did I become a hero for you Kiritsugu?"

. . . . . . . .

The last words of Shirou Emiya were very audible despite his choking and sputtering earlier. After he had uttered those words, he left this realm to head to another. It was broadcasted live from the Middle East and everyone from around the world who had heard about the act of terrorism tuned in to watch.

Everyone who had heard those words were quite confused, especially if they didn't understand Japanese.

After this, the world went about it's business as usual and quickly forgot about Shirou Emiya….

That is, until a certain loudmouth, twintailed magus uncovered the dark plot of the actual masterminds. They were swiftly punished and the truth was uncovered. The world remembered Shirou Emiya as a terrorist, but came to know him as a hero who saved nearly one hundred and fifty people from a reactor meltdown. How did he do it? The world still doesn't to this day, but they have decided to remember him and award him for his heroism, even if he has been freed from the world of the living.

In Fuyuki city, in a certain park, where twenty years ago a great and horrific fire broke out, a statue of the Japanese man stands there, wearing the same idiotic smile he wore in life. It was the least the people of the world could do for him.

The world still didn't know the meaning behind his last words, but they knew one thing…

Shirou Emiya became a Hero of Justice.

. . . . . . . .

Prologue

END


	2. Three Contracts In A Day

***UPDATE:** **I had to update this because I forgot to put it at the end of the chapter, but the next update will not be this Sunday, but the next. This should give me a head start on making chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!***

 **Hello everyone. Since I got so many reviews and stuff, I decided to work on the chapter straight away. Next, I wanna say thanks for the overwhelming support and positivity I received from the first chapter. Also, my apologies in advance if this chapter doesn't live up to expectations. I honestly wasn't ready for the amount of reviews and favorites, but now I have a duty to make this fic the best that I can. And finally, I will clear up some stuff lore wise:**

 **-This is the Fate version of Shirou with some slightly altered things in his history to fit the story.**

 **-Shirou became a Heroic Spirit through his own power and thus rejected Alaya. Since he's from the future and an AU though, no one will recognize him.**

 **-If there are any other lore related questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.**

 **(Disclaimer: I'm not a FSN expert so I most probably will screw up some lore related shit. My bad in advance and please feel free to correct me on it so I may change it.)**

 **Responses to reviews are at the end and let's hope I can keep up with them all!**

 **I also highly recommend listening to the Fate/Apocrypha soundtrack while reading just to make it a little more ummm….is atmospheric the right word? Oh well, you know what I mean, so find a playlist on YouTube and sit back and read.**

 **Anyways, let's begin!**

. . . . . . . .

Three Contracts In A Day

. . . . . . . .

Fiore was immensely nervous. Not only was she going to be a participant in the Great Holy Grail War, but she also was going to have the chance to receive any wish from the Grail if she won. It was an "if' but she was determined to make it a reality. Roche and Grandfather had already summoned their servants, Caster and Lancer, and it was up to the rest of them to summon Saber, Archer, Rider, and Berserker. Assassin would come later once their Master arrived, but it shouldn't be too big of a problem at the moment.

Beside her was her brother Caules, who looked equally if not more nervous than her. _Isn't he looking a bit green?_ she asked herself. Deciding to push the thought to the back of her mind, she focused back to the summoning circle in front of her.

Gordes, meanwhile, was just hungry. He wanted to get this over and done with and the summoning was taking way too long in his opinion. After this, he would have to go manage the Homunculi, which was already a hassle.

 _Ugh,_ he thought, _I've had enough of disposing of the defective ones. If someone were to help me with the process it would go a lot smoother._ He looked up at Caster who was spectating the entire event and came to the conclusion that Caster would have the most use for them besides from himself. Besides Caster, there was a man and a girl here. _They must be the Tohsaka's_ , he thought. As he went to focus back on the catalyst in his hand, he snuck a perverse glance at Celenike.

She was studying her own catalyst: a glass bottle. Gordes had forgotten which Heroic Spirit it was supposed to be for, but it mattered not. Celenike let out a sigh and looked up, only to find Gordes giving her piggish glances, which completely suited his appearance. He turned around quickly and she let out another short sigh, completely loathing the idea of working with such a man.

Each soon-to-be Master was in their own little worlds until they were snapped to attention by Darnic, who was standing beside the seated Lancer.

"Everyone," he announced, "it is almost time for us to begin! Fiore, did the Tohsaka's have the catalyst arrive on time?"

Fiore, looking down at her own catalyst now, smiled assuredly, "Yes Grandfather. The deal we arranged with them has been held and the head of the Tohsaka family is here now."

Tokiomi Tohsaka stepped forward to greet Darnic. "We have gotten the necklace to you as per agreement. It was unfortunate that you could not find a definite catalyst, but this one should prove to be quite useful. This necklace is a family heirloom and has been cultivated with magical energy for generations. I hope you'll excuse my daughter being here, since I've been trying to re-establish my family for quite some time now. She's learning the ropes about deals and such."

Darnic regarded the girl for the first time and smiled. "It's no problem Tokiomi. After all, training a magus is hard work. I'm sure she is to be astonished by the sight she is to witness. Ah! I almost forgot, we've wired all the money to the account. That should help very nicely with the purchases of jewels and what not."

Tokiomi nodded in satisfaction and the girl in the red sweater beside him looked uninterested.

Nevertheless, Darnic returned his attention to the other Masters and spoke in a delighted tone.

"You all may begin!"

Immediately, the mana in the air stirred and swirled into the four summoning circles on the ground. The four Masters began their incantation:

" **Elements of silver and iron,**

 **Foundation of stone and the archduke of pacts,**

 **The color bestowed is Black.**

 **A wall for descending winds, close the gates on the foreside**

 **Come forth from the crown,**

 **And follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom.**

 **Behold! My will creates your body**

 **And your sword my destiny.**

 **If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason,**

 **Then answer me!**

 **I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world,**

 **And that I shall defeat all evil in the world.**

 **Thou Seventh Heaven**

 **Clad in the great words of power,**

 **Spring forth now,**

 **Guardian of the Scales!"**

The spectators in the room looked absolutely in awe and the girl in the red sweater now had her full attention on the spectacle. Darnic let out a triumphant and arrogant "hmph!" and the room was filled with brilliant, blue energy and there, in each summoning circle, were the newly summoned Servants, answering their Masters' call.

"In accordance with your summons we have arrived.

We are the Servants of Black.

We declare our destinies to be one with Yggdmillennia,

And thus our swords are yours to wield as well!"

. . . . . . . .

I was on my knee, with my head bowed in reverence, speaking the words which came out my mouth and yet I did not know them. They just flowed out smoothly and I couldn't control it. As I tried to say something else or ask what was happening I became tongue tied and the Grail filled me in on everything. I had always wondered how Heroic Spirits were so adaptable to the modern era, and this must be how. It told me the differences in my world and this one, the situation of the war, the language I was speaking, and what my role is:

Archer.

I bit back the need to laugh at the mention of the class and at the irony of it all. Fate has quite a way of being funny. I had long ago found out the identity of the mysterious warrior who had covered our retreat at the Einzbern mansion all those years ago. After the Fifth Holy Grail war ended, Illya and I revisited the mansion which served as Archer's final location of battle.

As Illya was telling me how mad she was at the number of times Berserker died in that fight, I noticed the glimmer of a necklace in the daylight. I was at first confused at how the necklace ended up in this place when it should have been in my dresser at home. Then the truth of who that cynical and mysterious bowman was hit me like a big damn truck. Trying not to have an existential crisis, I quickly turned away from the necklace and left it there. I thought Archer would like it better if I didn't mess with his resting place.

It was also at that moment I had decided to never turn into a man like that, but to strive to become better than him.

As I was reminiscing, the man standing next to who I assume to be the leader spoke.

"My King! Before you are the Servants your Masters of Black have summoned." He bowed and continued, "In other words, they are your subordinates."

The seated man with dark, meticulous eyes nodded, clearly impressed. He smiled and stood up to his full height with extreme elegance. When he spoke, an aura of charisma flowed out of him in the same way killing intent seemed to just pour out of Heracles.

"Those of you that have acknowledged the summons in search of the Holy Grail, your first task is claiming victory in the name of the Black Faction!"

The younger man behind him spoke once more, with a staff in his hand that I didn't notice before. "By summoning these Servants," he began, "we, Yggdmillennia, have set foot upon a path to a battle in which we may never return. However! When this great war is over, those who have persevered as Masters shall be rewarded with infinite glory!"

As I snuck a glance at the Masters behind this, I couldn't help but smile along with them as they looked on in triumph and pride. The man began his speech once more.

"There is nothing to fear! We already have the almighty granter of wishes. We are already in possession of the Greater Grail!"

Wait, really?!

My smile grew even more since we already started with an enormous advantage. I looked around at my comrades and assessed that we had almost a sure chance of victory.

I glanced at our Saber, who had his eyes still shut and head still bowed.

I didn't even need to look him in the eyes to deduce that he was strong. I couldn't beat him, that's for sure.

An image of Artoria flashed through my mind and my smile softened. Here I was thinking of someone strong, but she is the pinnacle of strength. I, even as a servant, would still not be able to match her. It kind of made me embarrassed since guys are supposed to be able to protect their girlfriends. I'm not so stupid as to think that she needs protection anymore though.

Rider was the first to stand up. She let out a yawn and and stretched, visibly happy. She caught me looking at her and she waved vigorously at me. I returned it, albeit with a little less crazy enthusiasm. Berserker grunted like an animal as we locked eyes and walked off towards her Master. Saber stood up and regarded his team with smile. He seemed to feel the same as me:

Satisfied.

He walked up to me and we shook hands firmly.

"I look forward to working with you," I stated.

"Likewise," he answered happily.

As he walked off to greet his Master, I realized I should also do the same. As I started off towards my Master, a flash of red made my heart skip a beat. I turned to the left and stared up at a walkway which looked over the area in which we were summoned. There she was.

Rin.

She was young, probably a highschooler around this time. No matter a different reality or time, she never changed. As the last thing for me to see in my previous life and one of the first things to see in my new life, it warmed my heart immensely. If she exists here, then it is probably a given that I exist here, never knowing about Kiritsugu, magecraft, or the Holy Grail Wars. I wonder, what would it have been like to live a life like that?

She was talking with who I assumed to be her father. Since the Fourth Holy Grail War never happened he would still be alive. She looked amazed and was pointing down at us in awe. She looked back one more time and noticed me staring at her. She met my gaze and stared.

"Arigato." I said.

She looked at me in both confusion and disbelief. Smiling, I turned to walk away, listening to her stammer and panic. I loved leaving her flustered like that.

I went to join the Black Faction and whispered, "Thank you… for being with me the whole time, even till the end." It was so low that even I could barely hear it, but I expressed my gratefulness all the same and continued on.

. . . . . . . .

As night shrouded the castle in darkness, the inside stayed relatively well lit and impressive. Every room, hallway, closet, and corner of the castle was immaculate and pristine. The walls were pearly white with gold and blue accents to compliment them. Marble pillars supported the ceiling which was at least fifty feet high.

And everyone used to think my home was impressive…

"Alrighty! Listen up!"

I turned my attention to the feminine Astolfo, who was actually a man believe it or not. All of the recently summoned Servants and their Masters were in one area, and they all turned to face him. The fat man, Gordes, seemed visibly irritated and my Master, Fiore, looked at Astolfo questioningly.

"Since we're going to be a team and all from now on," he purred, "we should all get to know each other by giving our identities! It'll be super efficient! 'Kay I'll start! I'm Astolfo, one of the twelve heroes of Charlemagne! Nice to meet you!"

He smiled energetically and pushed on towards Berserker.

"Your turn!"

Berserker gave a snarl and looked the other way. I thought such blatant rejection would deter him, but oh boy was I wrong.

Astolfo turned to her Master, Caules, and asked him her name.

"Oh, it's Frankenstein."

Berserker let out a shocked growl which sounded like a rabbit which had just found itself in a trap.

"Ooh! Frankenstein! If it's okay with you, I'm gonna call you Fran, 'kay?"

"Fran" snapped at him like a dog and Astolfo raised his hands in surrender, coming to the conclusion that her answer was a "no."

Astolfo then made his way over to me. "Hey, hey! It's your turn now!" His eyes were sparkling in the way a kid's does when he wants something and you can't say no. I turned to my Master and she smiled, followed by a nod.

"Alright then. You probably won't know me, but my name's Shirou Emiya and I'm a Hero of Justice!" I finished the line with a smile.

It went quiet and everyone was staring at me. The eruption of laughter which followed was really a punch in the gut.

"Bahahaha!" spat Gordes. "Not only is he an unknown Heroic Spirit, but he's also twelve!" I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and I turned to my Master for some help only to find her hiding her smile with her hand. It continued like that for a while. A looong while.

Defeated, I slumped my shoulders and tried to hide my shame. Two hands patted me on the shoulder and I looked up to find one belonging to Astolfo and the other to Saber.

"Don't worry about them Shirou! I think a Hero of Justice is a hero all the same!" piped Astolfo.

"Indeed, I could not think of a better ally to have Shirou Emiya." stated Saber.

An emotion rose up within me and it almost made me burst out crying. "Thanks guys," I sniffed. "You really are true Heroic Spirits!" They continued to pat my back until I stood back up, confident in my new team.

With that fiasco over with, we resumed introductions.

However, as Saber went to speak his true name, Gordes stopped him.

"That's enough Saber! I forbid you to speak another word about your identity!" Astolfo let out a "huh?" and looked at the new, unfolding scene.

Astolfo's Master spoke up first, "And why not? We agreed to have full disclosure of all identities… even if some are silly."

"Heard that," I mumbled.

"I'm rescinding that," spat Gordes. The air was a little venomous now and Astolfo's Master was clearly agitated. It was quiet until my Master spoke up.

"Umm… Grandfather?" she asked, looking to see if the man from earlier, who's name was Darnic, approved.

Darnic seemed to be in thought before he spoke. "If you take full responsibility Gordes, I'll allow it for now."

Gordes humphed triumphantly and replied, "Of course."

With the matter of identities settled, the older man from earlier, who I found out to be Lancer, started hopefully not another speech.

"This… is the beginning…" he began.

Dammit.

"With our combined power, we will easily be able to annihilate the Red Faction and their Servants. My proud and fearless heroes, I look forward to your brave achievements. I am Vlad Tepes of Romania. To defend my country and to grant my own wish, I swear I will emerge victorious!"

All of the other Servants bowed except for me. I don't remember him saying he was going to make room for us in that wish and something about him rubbed me the wrong way. But, I reluctantly bowed and we were dismissed.

. . . . . . . .

As lightning rained on golems outside, Master and I talked inside over a cup of tea.

"This is truly amazing," stated my Master in between sips of tea. "To think my Servant can brew such amazing tea."

"If you like that, just wait until breakfast tomorrow." I answered.

"I can't wait."

As we sipped our tea, we watched Berserker unleash her Noble Phantasm. It was quite a spectacle.

I heard my Masters teacup clatter slightly against the tiny dish underneath it, and it drew my attention. I turned to face and extremely serious Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia.

"Is something wrong Master?" I asked concerned.

"Let me be frank. You are an unknown hero. That fact alone is enough to greatly diminish your combat ability and stats. We have no scope of your maximum power and you seem to be a quite unreliable person. We summoned you with a Tohsaka family pendant which contains massive amounts of magical energy, and somehow we summoned an unknown hero whose Noble Phantasm we don't even know."

"Actually Master, I don't have a Noble Phantasm."

As Fiore was about to say something, she stopped and looked at me. If she tried to speak, no sound would come out. Her eyes softened and then widened and softened again before finally shutting completely. Fiore then fell out of her wheelchair and into my arms, all the while mumbling something about being truly unlucky. I took her into my arms and went to get help.

. . . . . . . .

"She's been like this since she was young, so you shouldn't worry about it too much. Just keep an eye on her and replace the ice pack with a cool one later on," explained Caules.

"Thank you. I would have done all this myself, but this place is a maze to me." I replied.

"Don't think anything of it, she's my sister after all."

"Okay then," I answered, "I sometimes had to do this with my sister when I was younger so I'm used to taking care of people."

"Oh your sister was a sickly person then?"

"Yes, she didn't live past twenty two sadly."

I thought of Illya and those final days of her life. Bedridden, sickly, and sad. As a Homunculus, she knew her time was limited and that her life would be short. Still, she wore a smile all the same and chatted happily when Fuji-nee and Sakura would come visit. It almost destroyed me to watch such an energetic and happy-go-lucky girl wither away like that. I had held her hand in her final moments. You could tell she didn't want to go, that she was scared. She looked terrified until her expression softened, turned into a smile, and she spoke in a raspy voice.

" _Mama….Papa….It's been a….long time."_

Then, like that, she was gone and I was alone. I'm not sure what she had really seen through those closed eyes, but whatever it was filled her with unparalleled peace.

I shook my head from the memory and looked into Caules' eyes.

"Caules. No matter the circumstances, you should always treasure your sister. Let her beat on you however much she wants, and let her get any lingering hatred and emotions out of her system. Then, when she feels she has no one else to rely on, nowhere else to go….give her a place."

. . . . . . . .

The words shocked him and sunk into his very being. Caules understood this man in a way he has never understood anybody else. He understands that this man, despite never knowing him or his past, cares for him as family would. This man loves and cares for everyone in Yggdmillennia.

Caules could not decide if the man was naive or just outright dumb, but he felt extreme tenderness from such an odd looking stranger. He didn't recognize him as a Servant or a tool to be used to grant his wish, but as a _man_.

As Caules was thinking about all of this, the man crouched down to smile into his face. "If it's not too much trouble," he began, "could I ask that you set up some more golems in the field down there?"

Caules nodded. "Sure what do you need them for?"

The white haired man responded with a playful smile, "I'm going to destroy them for my Master."

Caules nodded and then exited the room with an unrecognizable sense of vigor than when he entered.

. . . . . . . .

Dusk had washed over the castle before Fiore began to stir again. Her eyes opened slightly, closed, then opened again and she looked as if she just woke up from a nightmare. She then looked over at me and realized the nightmare never ended.

"I can't believe this," she muttered. "I'm stuck with a Servant like you and everyone else has such amazing partners."

"Ouch, that stings a little Master." I hissed playfully.

"Sorry," she sighed, "I'm usually not such a…"

"Bitch?" I answered.

"Hey, what was THAT!?" Fiore shot up out of bed and pointed her finger at me accusingly. "Don't make me use a Command Seal to shut that foul mouth of yours!"

"Relax, I was just checking if you were awake. I meant no harm. Promise. Besides, I think I got to see a side of my Master no one has before. Your reactions are also kind of nostalgic to me."

She looked into my eyes, detected no hint of trickery, and sighed.

"I suppose I'll make due with a weak Servant. As long as you make breakfast for me every day that is…"

"Deal." I answered, sealing a second contract.

Silence settled over the room once more and Fiore let her eyes adjust to the room a little more. As her eyes looked out the window, I watched as she looked on in confusion.

"Wait, I thought Caules was done trying out Berserker's Noble Phantasm. Why are there still golems outside?"

"Besides field testing weaponry, I've noticed that the golems have been more frequently placed outside the castle. Today however, I'll be showing you what this 'weak' Servant can do." I answered with a playful smile on my face.

Opening the window, I quickly pointed out all four golems in the field. "In my life," I began, "I've only ever missed my target once, and it was on purpose." I smirked confidently and started the show.

"Trace, On."

My circuits whirred to life and the feeling filled me with nostalgic relaxation. In my mind, I called forth my trusty black bow, and pulled it into existence. I could feel Fiore's curious eyes studying me.

"You're a magus?" she asked.

I ignored the question and drew in the mana from the air and focused it into my second projection: a sword which looked more like a lance. It was a Noble Phantasm, but not my own. I knocked it like and arrow and the sword straightened and stretched.

" **I am the bone of my sword."**

I heard Fiore shudder at the cold and foreboding words. It had been so long since I uttered them that it almost made me shudder too.

Red light crackled like static around the sword and my body. I was like a mana sponge with the massive amounts of energy flowing in to me. The room was dead silent and the air was heavy. I breathed in and breathed out before uttering the name of the Noble Phantasm.

"Caladbolg."

My fingers loosened from around the string and let the sword fly. The shockwave shattered the windows, the twisted sword cut through the air with an earth shattering shriek which exuded dark, raw power. Everything about the sword was wrong and it felt like it could blow apart at any second; such was the power of a Broken Phantasm.

The golems in the field looked up at the star rushing towards them and felt nothing as the sword embedded into the first one and destroyed the others in the area around it. The earth shook and was blown a part with a thunderous rumble. The explosion gave off a light which was brilliant and stunning, but even more dark and dangerous.

As the dust and earth settled into place, I closed the remains of the window and turned to my Master.

"I know I'm weak. I know I will probably get killed early on in this war. But even so..." I looked into her eyes.

"...I hope you will trust me and that I'll be able to protect you and everyone here until the end."

Fiore looked stunned, frightened, and unsure. However, as I smiled, her expression matched mine and she nodded, utterly satisfied.

"Ok then, Hero of Justice, Shirou Emiya."

Dusk was slowly crawling away, welcoming night and the stars. Under those stars, I made a third contract that day.

. . . . . . . .

Three Contracts In A Day

END

 **Reviews:**

 **JJL2KK: That's a lot to talk about so I'll put you first my dude. I haven't explicitly explained what Shirou's outfit looks like so that's my bad. Just imagine Shirou looking exactly like Archer, clothes and all, but he doesn't slick his hair back and has a younger face. So he still looks badass with the body armor and all. I have something planned for Shirou's UBW, but I'm not sure how it would pan out so I'm still planning that. Next about the POV's, I find that I like to write in 1st person, but write scenes that have tons of context in 3rd. I know it's weird and I hope that you and everyone else will be able to deal with my stupidity. Also… about the harem. Shirou loves Artoria so he obviously won't be getting with any ladies, but that doesn't mean they won't try to get with him. And we all know how dense Shirou is, so buckle up boys. I'm also going to try uploading once a week so I'm working on tons of chapters to keep me ahead. I may have glossed over some stuff, but thanks for taking the time to do such an amazing review!**

 **Frank Horrigan: Indeed.**

 **MrSomeWhatNiceGuy: As you can see from the chapter, Yggdmillennia could not find a fourth catalyst so they paid the Tohsakas to get them a jewel that would promise a strong Servant for summoning.**

 **furukawa023: I actually envisioned the statue looking like Archer in the ending of UBW. You must be psychic!**

 **tl34lt12: Stop with the spoilers man! You all better expect that double date on the Reverse Side of the world too. It's going to happen now, most likely as an omake.**

 **A lot of the reviews were the same things like "great job" and "I love this!" and all reviews are welcome, but I can't respond to them all. So if I didn't, don't feel bad! I do read them all though so Senpei has noticed all of you and he loves you very much! 3**

 **Also, if your reviews are in another language, I will most likely not be able to understand them and Google Translate doesn't help that much. Sorry in advance, but do know that if I ever learn how to speak other languages, I will come back to them and give you the recognition. (o-o)b**


	3. The Hero Gets To Work

**Let's get some stuff out of the way before the chapter starts:**

 **A lot of you were talking about how everyone in Yggdmillennia would have known Shirou by his last name Emiya, since Kiritsugu is the infamous Magus Killer. To clear that up, I decided to give Kiritsugu a happy life in this universe. He lives on an island with a happy family and runs a fishing business called Heroes of the Sea. That last one was a joke, but this all means that no one knows about the Magus Killer.**

 **Next, I want to say that Shirou is actually pretty strong, as you will see later in the chapter, and is just very humble. Don't worry, I didn't pussify him. (Well maybe in some parts for comedic effects, but I assure you he is powerful.)**

 **LET'S BEGIN!**

. . . . . . . .

The Hero Gets To Work

. . . . . . . .

After demonstrating my magical ability, I was quickly reprimanded for the extensive damage which was created by unleashing Caladbolg. Fiore forced me to sweep up the glass from the broken windows, only to then instantly repair the damn thing with magic. After that, she dragged me downstairs where I formally apologized for the commotion that I caused. It seems that when I destroyed the golems, everyone thought the Red Faction was moving in on the castle already. All of the Masters then promptly got dressed, prepared for battle, and were moving out of the doors before Fiore stopped them.

"Honestly," grumbled Gordes, "Keep that damn Servant on a tighter leash! I had just gotten into bed too!"

"Why would you be testing out your Noble Phantasm so late at night? Honestly, couldn't you have waited until tomorrow morning?" demanded Celenike.

Everyone, Servants and Masters includes, seemed quite annoyed with my course of action, which was completely understandable, but I still had the need to correct them.

"That actually wasn't my Noble Phantasm. To be honest, I don't have on-"

The rest of my sentence was cut off as Fiore karate chopped me lightly in the ribs. I let out a surprised gasp and looked at her questioningly.

" _What was that for?"_ I asked her telepathically.

" _After we defeat the Red Faction, they will be our enemy. If you tell them about not having a Noble Phantasm we'd be at a serious disadvantage!"_

"Oh….my bad." I mumbled, feeling stupid at the thought of almost letting such crucial info slip.

Rubbing my side, I straightened up and found the Masters and Servants were looking at me suspiciously.

"That wasn't your Noble Phantasm?" questioned Caster suspiciously. In response I shook my head and continued, "No, that was only one of my arrows, albeit one with a lot of mana poured into it." Caster seemed satisfied with this answer and seeing no other value in listening further into the conversation, left. Caules wasn't buying it and said, "There's no way. A single arrow? If you could fire ten arrows with such power, I doubt even Saber would be a match for you."

"No," I began to correct him, "That arrow can only be fired a single time without me having to take out another one, and I can't fire it in quick succession without a little difficulty. Plus, it takes quite a bit of mana from me to do that and I wouldn't want to drain my Master like that."

Caules shifted uncomfortably, as if he was going to say something, but decided otherwise.

Thinking nothing of it, I continued, "Besides archery, I am also quite adept in melee combat. I could match most Servants with a sword, but beating them would be a whole other matter."

Gordes chuckled, "An Archer class Servant saying he could match other Servants in close quarters combat, let alone my Saber is quite laughable. I didn't expect your Servant would be so idiotic Fiore."

Fiore lowered her head, embarrassed. Her shoulders were shaking and she seemed as if she were about to cry. From the short time that I have been allied with my Master, I have been able to deduce that she has a bit of tendency to think of herself as inferior to the others, despite being one of the most powerful magi here. Anger welled up inside of me and I directed it towards the chubby man-child.

"You can insult me all you want," I began. "However, if you EVER insult my Master's intelligence as a Magus….I'll wipe that piggish smile right off your face."

Everyone in the room looked on in equal amounts of disbelief and amazement. I also noticed the great amount of enjoyment emanating from Darnic. They obviously don't seem to grasp the concept that Servant's are people too, not just tools to be used in victory.

Sweat dripped down the now angry man's red face.

"You dare to insult me?! You, a mere Servant? DARNIC! Allow my Saber to behead this son of a bitch right now! He obviously needs to know his place. To think of himself as something other than garbage is the height of hubris!"

Darnic smiled devilishly and answered, "Now, now. Let's not get hasty Gordes. While I don't like the idea of witnessing such disrespect from a Servant, let's not let this spiral out of control. There will be no 'beheading' but…." he grinned and for some reason an image of a certain priest flashed in my mind.

"Why don't we let Archer and Saber have a friendly little sparring match? Archer will be fighting for his Master's honor, and Saber will be fighting for his." Darnic turned to Fiore. "Is this acceptable?"

"Grandfather…" mumbled Fiore. Even though I displayed such amazing power earlier, it was quite obvious Fiore was still questioning my ability. I couldn't blame her, as I wasn't too sure if I would be able to beat Saber, but I could do my best to assure her.

I put my hand on her shoulder and spoke warmly, "It'll be okay. Besides, we could use this chance to show them my power. It will likely make them more cautious of us in the future, which could work extremely to our advantage." Fiore's troubled eyes relaxed and she replaced them with an expression of confidence.

She nodded once more to herself and looked Darnic in the eyes. I detected a hint of fear in her, but it was dispelled when she spoke.

"We accept Grandfather!"

With that, we set out to the field where the match would be held. As I pushed Fiore in her wheelchair, she turned back to me and gave me giant thumbs up that said "you got this!"

. . . . . . .

A slight breeze rolled over the dark field. The stars in the sky glistened in anticipation for the upcoming battle, and to be honest, I was quite nervous. The scope of my power from when I was a human was obviously greater than that of a normal person. However, that doesn't mean I never got my ass handed to me in the ten or so years in which I travelled the world. Indeed, a Hero of Justice always gets his butt kicked at least once or twice. Now, as a Servant, I can only assume that my power is at least doubled.

Saber on the other hand was a legendary hero who was no doubt extremely powerful in his own life. When he became a Servant, it is safe to assume his power was at least doubled too. Not knowing his identity is problem since I have no estimate of his fame or ability, but with the grace that he is holding his sword with right now, it's safe to assume that this will not be easy. I traced his weapon and instantly knew his identity. Siegfried, the legendary killer of the evil dragon Fafnir. I guess I'll keep his identity a secret right now out of respect, but knowing his identity made me all the more nervous.

I looked up into the growing moonlight and sighed, taking off my mystic code. I soon noticed that it was quite chilly outside and that the breeze almost made me shiver.

"Hmph," began Gordes, "I can't believe they still plan to go along with this. Archer might be making a big show by taking off that coat and all, but we all know it will make no difference. You should know when to cut your losses Fiore." I looked over at the spectators, focusing on my Master.

"You should also not underestimate Servants Gordes. Even if it's well known that Saber is the strongest class, there's no rule that says an Archer can't beat him."

Instead of getting angry, Gordes considered this and for a moment doubt flashed on his face. However, as soon as it was there, it was just as quickly gone again.

"He intends to fight Saber up close with a bow though," murmured Astolfo, who looked quite worried himself. "If Saber closes the gap too fast, he won't have time to draw his bow, let alone fire an arrow."

Celenike chimed in her thoughts, "True as that may be, he also seems to have noticed this and yet look at his eyes. He has no intention of withdrawing. Mmm, his tenacity is tantalizing." She finished the sentence with a provocative lick of her lips.

As everyone looked into my eyes, they flinched at my undoubtedly scary glare. I could feel the stares drilling into me but my focus did not waver. I was not looking into Saber's stern eyes, but past them, towards the goal on the other side.

Darnic, as overseer of the match, stepped forward. "Okay gentlemen, let's keep this relatively safe. We'll stop when one of you lands a potentially fatal blow. I can't stress this enough, so please….don't actually kill each other."

Lancer was right behind Darnic, also interested in the match. Thankfully, he didn't start a boring speech right before the match.

"Ready? Ok, on my signal…." stated Darnic.

The wind had died down and silence permeated the air. Saber decided to break it.

"Can you keep up with me?" he asked, concerned.

A smirk found itself on my face and I answered. "It's not 'can you keep up with me….'"

I breathed deeply.

"...You keep up with me!"

"BEGIN!" announced Darnic.

My circuits sparked and mana coursed through my veins. Saber was already four feet from me, his sword arcing towards my neck. I called them from my mind: Kanshou and Bakuya, the twin swords. Instantly, my favorite swords were there, in my grasp. They crackled with energy and were as sturdy as ever.

Saber's sword struck me, taking my head completely off my body.

That's how it should of gone, but in reality, I was already behind Saber ready to swing. I heard the gasps from the spectators, but right now I had no time to worry about them. I only had eyes for my enemy.

Saber's swing for my neck was a failure, so he spun with the momentum, turning completely around in a fraction of a second. He was fast, and his deadly sword had already flung Bakuya out of my hand and was homing in on my chest. The entire time that we fought, I kept track of his eyes. They were keen and seemed to see my next move before I even acted. If one saw the situation right now, they would think that it was my lost, but they would be mistaken.

I smiled as Bakuya came flying back, eager to rejoin its partner. Saber noticed and instantly ducked to avoid the sword and just as quickly sprung back up, looking to land a vicious overhead strike. With both swords in my hand, I realized that there would be no way to dodge the strike. The world slowed, I tightened my jaw, and defended against the attack with both of my swords crossed. The sword crashed down and my knees almost buckled under the intense weight. The ground crumbled and cracked underneath my feet.

From the crowd of people, I heard Gordes laughing. He quickly shut up when he realized that I was still alive.

The whole exchange took about six seconds and my mind was in absolute overdrive after comprehending all those strikes, but it was probably thanks to my status as an Archer that I was able to comprehend them at all. I was breathing a little heavily and I took the time to notice the shattered remains of Kanshou and Bakuya in my hands. Saber, unfazed by the clash, spoke.

"With your weapons destroyed, you are no match for me. Please yield."

He obviously hasn't figured out that I was actually projecting those weapons, which will make this next part satisfying.

"Trace On."

I cast the blades aside and summoned them again, flooding them with energy and making sure to reinforce them to their strongest. Surprise flashed over his face, but he steeled himself and leveled his sword again.

"What kind of swords are those?" he inquired.

I ignored him and took the initiative.

With unparalleled speed, I burst forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks that would not normally be seen by the human eyes. Right, left, right, left. I stepped around his attacks, slithering like a snake between the tiniest of gaps in his swings. I took aim at his chest, knees, arms, neck, head, and abdomen. He blocked every one of them and stepped forward, throwing off my concentration.

He swiftly kneed me in the stomach, sending me sailing through the air with a thunderous smack. He visibly winced right after.

I haven't breathed in eight seconds and now, after taking a hit like that, I felt that I was unable to. My body was limp in the air and Saber leaped, looking to bring the sword through my abdomen.

In a split second, my bow was in my hand and the dragon-slaying sword I used as an arrow was ready to fly. I didn't need to breath to attack. Saber bit his lip and, realizing there was no way to dodge the attack mid-air, made himself as small as a target as possible. I let the sword fly and he twisted his body violently, only letting it pierce his left forearm.

We both touched earth at the same time and I let him have the time to pull the sword out. Saber did pull it out, albeit with a confused look on his face. I could feel the morbid curiosity growing within him.

I sucked in precious oxygen and rested for a second.

"What are you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied, still gasping.

"The others may not have noticed it, but that was not swordsmanship. It was neither elegant nor sacred. The way you swung those swords was cold, calculating, and ruthless. It was not taught to you, but you learned how to use it from experience. On top of that, your body is like hitting a metal wall."

He wasn't far off, so I indulged him. "You're basically correct about everything. My way of fighting was gained and cemented through the hardships of the battlefield. I had lived my entire life with a sword in hand, and thus have become the sword."

Saber's expression was filled with understanding and pity. He probably knows what it was like to live going from battlefield to battlefield, and has an idea of what my life must have been like.

"Don't pity me." I stated. "Even though it killed me, I don't regret the decision to take up the sword and I never will. As long as I have a sword, I'll be able to protect someone. And even if I don't have a sword, I am one, so I will simply use my body to protect everyone."

He looked at me in utter confusion, and spoke. "Why do you protect everyone?"

"I once did it because someone was unable to fulfill that wish of protecting everyone, so I decided to do it for them. I felt that it was my duty to take up the mantle I guess."

Memories of Kiritsugu's sickly face flashed in my mind. I remembered that night I promised to him that I would accomplish that dream in his place. The dream to become a Hero.

Saber closed his eyes, his face stern, as if remembering something unpleasant.

"But," I resumed, "Along the way, I realized how beautiful that wish actually was. I couldn't help but want to protect everyone from the same things which I faced, so I decided to protect them because I wanted to make a beautiful wish like that a reality. I know that it's an impossible goal, but with these hands I strived to do that. This second life I've been given is just a chance to save even more people."

Saber's eyes snapped open in shock and his hands shook. It was if he had found the answer to a question with has plagued him for eternity.

He then looked up at me and smiled.

It was the second happiest smile I had ever seen.

The wind returned to the field and it chilled my hot body. The fight had silently been agreed to be put on hold for the duration of our conversation. Saber and I still looked at each other and then, finally, we broke eye contact when Saber closed his eyes again. This time he closed his eyes with a smile.

"Thank you, Shirou Emiya. You may be an unknown hero with a small legend, but I swear I will not forget you or this kindness in which you have given me."

With that, Saber proceeded to stab himself through the stomach with his own sword. The shock of it all made my mouth drop open along with everyone else's.

Still smiling, he broke the tense silence.

"Oh, it seems that I've suffered a fatal injury. I guess this is Shirou's win," he said, shrugging his shoulders which gave off an "oh well" vibe.

"Haah?!" everyone yelled in unison.

. . . . . . . .

Siegfried's Master had given him quite an earful after a stunt like that, and he didn't blame him. It was a draw, but the self inflicted wound technically made it Shirou's win and Siegfried was okay with that. Still, he kept thinking back towards the bout.

A unknown hero, his name not even known to other Heroic Spirits, was able to keep up with Siegfried as an Archer. The thought scared him. For one to attain such strength, they had to have had at least some sort of fame, some sort of way to recognize them.

It was during the match that Siegfried realized who Shirou Emiya actually was. Normally, if a Heroic Spirit gives their true name to another Heroic Spirit, the other hero should automatically know their identity. For some reason, Siegfried could not automatically deduce _who_ he was. Sure, he had his name, but it felt like there was something interfering with him actually learning who he was. It must of been the fact that Shirou was actually from an alternate universe, a fact he was able to deduce from his legend.

As they fought however, the veil was lifted from over Siegfried's eyes and he was able to recognize the Hero of Justice.

Siegfried was now following his Master back to his room. He absently rubbed the area which was punctured by the sword earlier, though it was already healed.

Siegfried had to admit that if Shirou was using every bit of his strength, he would of definitely have had to resort to his Noble Phantasm. His Master probably would have stopped him though.

The more Siegfried remembered the battle, the more he became bewildered by Shirou. As Siegfried went over the legend of Shirou Emiya in his mind, he couldn't help but feel absolute pity for the man. A past like that and a death like that. No one deserved it, and he died all the same, but he died completely satisfied with his life but in his final moments he only had one question. It was a question which even the entirety of the earth couldn't answer.

" _Did I become a hero for you Kiritsugu?"_

Kiritsugu Emiya, the adoptive father of Shirou Emiya….

What role did he have in the birth of such a hero?

Whatever part he played in the birth of the hero, it must have been extremely positive. Shirou didn't help people because he was asked to, but because he wanted to. That in itself is the definition of heroism.

Siegfried smiled to himself.

"So, that's what a real Hero of Justice looks like…."

"Huh? What was that?" snorted Gordes.

Siegfried, realising he spoke out loud, waved it aside and apologized, saying, "It was nothing."

Gordes shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. Siegfried followed him.

. . . . . . . .

"That was amazing Shirou!"

Fiore, with stars in her eyes, looked back at me in wonder as I pushed her to her room. The hallway was quiet except for the small group of Homunculi that were patrolling the building.

"It was nothing really. He was holding back and I didn't even really wound him."

"I mean, yeah he did stab himself, but you landed a good strike on him with your bow."

"That would never take down a Servant," I explained, "I was lucky that he decided the guard against it instead of tanking it. I would be the one in a wheelchair right now."

She puffed out her cheeks, "You know, you really don't give yourself enough credit."

"Pride leads to arrogance, which leads to death. I prefer to be alive and humble."

Fiore continued, "Well, you should have went full power at the beginning to overwhelm him and not have given him time to think."

"No," I stated, "You only strike first when you know you are more powerful than you opponent. You saw how fast he was on top of me when it started. I barely dodged the first attack and almost couldn't even get my weapons out."

"Oh yeah," she began, remembering the scene. "What were those swords? They were like Noble Phantasms, but you said you didn't have any. The same thing happened with that big sword you shot earlier. That power was clearly a Noble Phantasm."

Damn, she was quick. I guess it was time for me to explain the nature of my power.

We arrived at her room, and I wheeled her inside, leaving her by the table while I brewed more tea.

"Master," I said. "You are correct. Those were Noble Phantasms, but they were not my own. They were simply borrowed for me to use and since we're a team I feel I should tell you about my powers."

"What?" she questioned. "Then, if they're not yours, how can you use them?"

She had caught on to me earlier, so I decided there was no way out and began to tell her about my abilities.

"You were correct earlier. In my life I was a magus, a third rate one. I had no magical skill whatsoever and could hardly do the simplest of reinforcements. I had been barely taught magecraft and I also picked up a bad habit and that caused me to use my circuits incorrectly. Instead of doing it the normal way, I replaced my nerves and made them into magic circuits. It was extremely painful, like inserting a hot iron rod into my spine and results were extremely rare. One event led to another and I found myself in the midst of a Holy Grail War."

"As a Master?" Fiore blurted.

I nodded my head and continued. "It was through the War in which my abilities and affinity for magic was realized. I had the ability to completely recreate and project any weapon I see, as long as it had a blade. I could project other weapons mind you, but bladed ones are more preferable."

Fiore put her hand in front of my face, as if to halt my explanation. It worked and she cut in.

"That's simply not possible. It's impossible to keep projections like that in the world and besides, if you projected a Noble Phantasm it would utterly destroy you."

She wasn't buying it, so I traced Saber's weapon from earlier.

As I pulled it into existence, and Fiore stared at it in amazement, she uttered out one word.

"How? Is that Saber's weapon?"

"Yes. Along with completely copying a Noble Phantasm, it becomes one rank lower than the original, and the weapon's history is revealed to me. I would tell you the sword's name, but that would be a breach of privacy."

Fiore was at a loss for words, but her mind was still just as sharp. "Then if you know the weapons history, that extends to the people who have used it, and that means you know Saber's identity and potentially every other Servant's identity!"

I nodded. "Yes. However, I will respect Saber's Master's wishes to keep him unknown. I'll tell you his identity when he becomes our enemy. As for the other Servants, we have an extreme advantage over them by their inability to recognize me."

Fiore went to object about me hiding Saber's identity, but then decided against it. "I understand. I'm apprehensive about having to fight the rest of the Black Faction after we defeat the Red Faction, especially Saber. Don't forget to tell me his name later."

"Of course." Bringing her a cup of tea, I sat down opposite of her.

"Now, let's talk about a couple more things." Her gaze was warm, but serious like it was earlier that day. "Firstly, are you sure you have no Noble Phantasm of your own?"

Ah, there it was. She knew I was withholding information.

Sighing, I rested my head on my hand. "I do have one ability, but I don't consider it to be a Noble Phantasm. However, if you were to say that Noble Phantasms were the symbol of a Heroic Spirit, then it would without a doubt be one. However, I don't like using it that much. It reminds me of a place which I'm not sure if I'll be able to reach."

"What is it?" she inquired, obviously intrigued .

"It's my secret. My trump card if you will."

"What?"

"You heard me. It's my trump card."

Fiore, who was sipping her tea, almost dropped the cup when I said that.

"I can't believe you sometimes," she said with a deflated expression.

"Sorry. It's something that goes against the very rules of the World. That being said, it takes a great deal of mana to even activate. To keep it activated for extended periods of time would drain you immensely."

Again, I was given the look of someone who wanted to say something, but decided not to.

"You shouldn't worry about me so much. I'm confident in my ability as a magus."

"I have no doubt you are a competent magus, but I still think we should only utilize it in extremely dire situations."

She seemed conflicted. The room was quiet and soon after, Fiore lowered her head into a defeated nod. I let out the air which was being held in my lungs.

Dealing with a Master is quite hard. I now feel bad for putting Artoria through so much back in the day.

"Okay!" she chirped. "Let's move on. Next, your ability to project Noble Phantasms. Do you think it could be taught and utilized by other magi?"

I shook my head. "No. Firstly, it's not just projection. It's Tracing, an extremely advanced form of projection. Secondly, no one else in this world will have the ability to perform this type of magecraft. The circumstances which allowed me to be able to do this can not be replicated. I can replicate and store weapons just by looking at them with Structural Grasping, which allows me to see objects as if they were a blueprint, and even faithfully reproduce the most legendary of weapons. When I employ the weapon's history, I am able to wield that weapon with the proficiency of the original owner."

"Hmm. That's amazing, but also a shame. If our Homunculi could utilize such magecraft, it would be extraordinary." mumbled Fiore.

"Indeed, it would be. Sorry to disappoint you."

Fiore waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Don't worry about it. Ok, final question, I promise."

I gestured for her to continue and she did.

"What is your wish for the Holy Grail?"

I didn't have to even think of an answer since I already had one.

"I have no wish for the Grail to grant. This second life has given me the chance to continue to save people. That in and of itself, is a wish already granted."

Fiore didn't know what to say and she looked down somberly. "Ah, I see. My wish isn't as valiant and selfless as yours."

"You want control of your legs right?"

Sadly, she nodded and began rubbing her immobile limbs. "Yes. I know it's selfish, but it is truly what I want."

As soon as she said that, I chuckled to myself, which earned me a confused stare.

"Sorry," I apologized, still chuckling. "It's just that you think a wish like that is selfish. So what if you want your legs back? You should make a wish that makes you happy."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she gave me a warm smile, which I returned.

"Thank you Shirou."

The smile and pure joy radiating from her was magnificent. Smiles like those are what drives me to continue being a Hero of Justice.

"Don't mention it." Looking at the darkness outside, I continued, "Would you look at that. It's about time for you to go to bed I believe. From now on you have to be in top form so that I get all the power I need."

Fiore nodded and I helped her into bed. She thanked me and I exited the room. I had no need to sleep so I wandered through the castle, looking for something to do.

. . . . . . . .

Deciding it would be best to find the kitchen, I asked a Homunculus who guided me there. I needed to get a head start if I was going to make breakfast for Fiore and I wasn't too sure how rusty I had gotten since I last cooked. The Homunculus showed me to my destination, bowed, and left. The kitchens were quite large and wonderful. I had no doubt that they would probably have ever ingredient known to man in this place. The room was empty right now, but would probably fill up as day drew closer.

I summoned my regular clothes and let my battle clothes fade away. It felt good to finally be out of those.

As I moved towards the fridge, I mentally stopped myself. With an unnecessary snap, I summoned an apron in my hands, which I then quickly and precisely secured over my casual wear. Looking down at myself, I nodded in satisfaction and began cooking.

I lined up eggs, bacon, butter, cheese, two pans, and a spatula along the countertop. I intended to make a simple Western breakfast. I put the pan over a low fire to warm up before cracking open two eggs into a bowl, which I quickly scrambled. In the other pan, I laid the bacon down and it slowly began to crackle. Cutting off the tip of the butter stick, I slapped it into the pan and it started to melt. It was important to spread the butter around the bottom of the pan so that the eggs won't stick.

Making sure the butter was evenly distributed, I poured the eggs into the pan with a satisfying sizzle. I took two slices of bread and dropped them into the toaster before sprinkling cheese onto the eggs. By this time, the bacon was almost done and I took the strips off the heat and lined them on a napkin to soak up the grease. I then let the eggs cook, moving them every now and then so that they would cook evenly.

The bread popped out of the toaster, the bacon was as grease free as it was going to get, and the eggs had just finished. I seasoned them with salt and pepper before pilling all the food onto a plate. I quickly spread butter over the toast and set the plate down.

It was done. It's a simple dish with tons of cholesterol, but I smiled at the creation before my very eyes.

I've still got it, though I would have preferred to make something a little more Japanese.

While I was revelling in my accomplishment, a thought occurred to me. Who is going to eat this? I only made it to brush up on my skills and I wasn't particularly hungry. Servants also didn't have to eat so I was kind of stuck here.

Sighing, I picked up a fork and looked down at the plate.

I can't let this go to waste.

Just then, the door to the kitchen crashed open and I turned to see a twin tailed tsundere flying at me like a bullet. I didn't have time to react before she tackled me to the floor.

. . . . . . . .

"Mmm. Who knew Shervants were shuch good cooksh."

I groaned as Rin talked with her mouth wide open.

"You know, you really seem like the type of person to be a little more umm….reserved?" I ended the statement with a question and Rin threw me a sideways glance. The eggs stood no chance and the bacon was almost gone too. As she ravaged the toast, she gulped down an entire glass of orange juice (which I had to pour for her).

"Why?" she asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Is it because I'm a Tohsaka, someone who comes from a prestigious family?"

"No, It's just….I don't know….unfamiliar?"

"There you go again. You really shouldn't end so many statements with a question, it'll make you seem unreliable. Also, I don't know what you mean by that."

"Where did that saying come from?" I asked. Honestly, who would make such a stupid saying?

"Straight from me." retorted Rin.

I should've known.

She set the utensils down beside her plate and sat in a dignified pose which was more along the lines of how I remembered her in my past life. I was still deciding if this Rin was more of a handful than the one from my previous life though.

"Anyway," she began. "What are you even doing here in the middle of the night?"

"I could say the same, but I'm cooking breakfast for my Master tomorrow and I'm still not sure what I should make for her."

Rin ignored the first comment and let out a "hmph" followed by, "Well, that meal was quite nice. I think she would be satisfied with that." She paused for a moment.

"You know, this food really reminds me of my friend's cooking."

My heart leaped a little, and calmed down quickly. "Oh really?" I asked.

"Yeah, his name's Shirou. He's really good at cooking and cleaning and things like that. It's really not manly at all and his parents get to take it easy."

I smiled briefly, wondering how in the world Rin would know this world's version of me. In the end, I guess it doesn't matter, but I can't help but wonder many things. Who are my parents? Do I still know Issei and go to school with everyone? How are Sakura and Fuji-nee and Kiritsugu?

As I was asking these questions in my head, I saw Rin study my face out of the corner of my eye.

"Now that I mention it…."

Oh no. Don't recognize me. Don't recognize me. Don't recognize me!

"You were that guy that spoke Japanese at the summoning ritual!"

I mentally wiped the sweat from my forehead.

Smiling, I answered. "Yes. In my previous life, I travelled to many places. Japan was one of them and I stayed there for a while. Naturally I had to learn the language."

Rin seemed to accept the answer and dismissed it. Taking the plate from her, I walked to the sink and began washing it. I struck up a conversation to keep her interested.

"So what brings you here to Romania?"

Rin sighed. "Well, my dad thought it would be good experience to bring me here to learn about dealings with magi since he's trying to reach the root using Chinese Kenpou and magic. I'm his successor, so he thought it would be a good idea to show me the ropes, but I still don't understand why he didn't pick Sakura to do this…. Anyway, we'll be staying here until morning. He also wanted to go on a personal trip."

"Personal trip?" I questioned.

"Yeah. He started rambling about something like 'karma that's had a long time coming,' or something like that. That old guy, Darnic or whatever, had supposedly killed the old Tohsaka head eighty years ago and stolen the Grail I think. If he had the chance, I'm certain he would kill to get a shot at Darnic right now, but he's a little more level headed than to rush in so blindly. The Tohsakas have given up on the Grail, but he gave your Master that necklace in hopes of screwing up the summoning. However, it appears you were still summoned anyway."

I laughed a little at the thought of that. For the first time that day, I remembered the pendant which had hung around my neck. That must have been why I was summoned here. It was probably the same necklace which Rin used to save my life all those years ago. Other than that, I took notice of the loose lipped girl.

Rin, however, didn't notice how much information she had casually let slip and continued to sit straight up.

"Hey."

Rin looked my way and answered with a simple "hm?"

"You do realize you just admitted to trying to deceive and absolutely screw over the people that I work for, right?"

As I said this, Rin replayed what she said in her head. It took her about six seconds before she realized she made a fatal error. Her face lowered and her bangs obscured her eyes from my view.

"Hey," I said, trying to comfort her. "It's not like I'll-" As I reached my hand forward to pat her on the shoulder, she grabbed it. In one fluid motion, I found the world to be upside down and there was a faint pain in my back. She had launched me over her shoulder and into a wall.

"It's seems I've revealed too much," she stood up, mumbling to herself. "My father may want me to be a magus, but my passion has always lied elsewhere."

"Rin! Wait a sec-"

"I'll have to silence you with my fists!" And with that, she was sailing through the air, a kick flying straight towards my head. I saw the kick coming, and grabbed it using my speed. No matter how much of a good fighter she may be, she's still human and I'm a Heroic Sp-

"Hyyahh!"

My vision flashed white as she brought a reinforced heel straight down on my head. I stumbled a bit and Rin landed gracefully on her feet.

"It seems that while Father did not completely screw up the summoning, he did manage to have your Master summon a completely weak hero."

That's enough.

I decided to take her seriously and had the blade at her neck and her arms locked behind her in the span of less than a second. Still trying to figure out what happened, she blinked. I spoke into her ear.

"Don't look down on Servants Rin. We are still stronger than any human." I raised my voice back to it's normal level and continued. "Now, with that fiasco over with, let me say that I wasn't going to say anything to the Masters. I could honestly care less about some old grudge, as long as it doesn't get innocents involved. If you won't attack me, I'll let you up."

She nodded and I let her up. She dusted herself off and glared at me.

"This is the first time I've been defeated in hand to hand combat. What is your name?"

"I'm not allowed to say that so just call me Archer," I answered.

Rin nodded. "Understood. Thank you for the meal Archer."

She said that last sentence in Japanese and left the kitchen. Sighing, I decided on something.

This Rin was definitely more of a handful.

I resumed washing the dirty dishes and when I was finished, left the room. As I left, I noticed how sore my back was and decided it would be best to head back to my room for the night.

. . . . . . . .

I was wandering around the castle for about twenty minutes before I admitted defeat.

I'm lost.

The Homunculus that had brought me to the kitchen was nowhere to be seen and I still couldn't find my way around this place. As I continued to wander the empty halls, I found myself descending lower and lower down stairs and more hallways. I knew I was going the wrong way, but I had started to feel something.

Something wrong.

Soon, the hallway ended with an elevator which seemed out of place in the magnificent hallway. It was rough and dark and as soon as I stepped on to it, a creak echoed down the shaft. There was only three buttons: one being the floor I was on now, and two other levels. I pressed the one that went farthest down and as I descended, the elevator opened up to reveal a grand mine with hundreds of golems lining the area.

This must be where Caster gets his materials for the golems.

My descent continued and soon the mine was out of view and it was dark. From below, a faint green glow lingered ominously. It swallowed the rickety elevator and another large area opened up before me. My jaw dropped and my mind raced. There, as far as the eyes could see, were green tubes and in each and every one of them was a person.

No, that's inaccurate. They were Homunculi.

They were floating in some kind of liquid. I wasn't sure if it was water. There were other Homunculi scattered throughout the area, taking notes of the ones in the tubes, and others discarding bodies in a large pile. The dark feeling from earlier made my stomach turn and I realized that this is where it was coming from.

Images flashed through my mind of orphans, lining the basement of a church and looking like nothing more than festering corpses.

"Ah, Archer. What are you doing here?"

My head snapped around to look at Caster and his Master, Roche. The little boy was the one that spoke and Caster looked emotionless like usual.

The knot in my throat came loose. "What is this?"

Roche spoke up first. "This is the place where we create the Homunculi and where we farm them so they can supply you Servants with tons of magical energy!"

Caster spoke next, while still being emotionless. "One of these Homunculi will also function as the core for my Noble Phantasm when it is ready. We are still looking for the right one and there have been many failures as you can see."

Without even motioning to the pile of bodies, I knew that he meant they were the failures.

Sickness threatened to take over my body, but was soon replaced by white, hot anger.

"The other Masters know of this?" I hissed.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they?"

It all came back to me. They way Fiore and Caules looked uncomfortable when I mentioned magical energy. They were hiding this atrocity from me in fear that I might do something.

They were right to do so.

As Caster and Roche were debating whether the Homunculus in front of them would be a candidate for the core, I drew Kanshou and Bakuya.

They felt the magical energy emanating from behind them and they turned.

"What are you doing?" asked Caster.

"You create life like this only to use them for their energy and power, then discard them?" I growled. "Do their lives have no value to you? Do you not feel anything for them?"

Roche was confused. "Why would I? It's not like they're people…"

I thought of Illya and her smile that was so human like. If she wasn't human, then I don't know what is.

I could feel my eyes burning with anger. The lives of these Homunculi meant nothing to any of them.

"I'm going to free them," I warned. "If you don't want to get hurt, move out of the way."

Caster pushed Roche behind him while I walked forward.

"You are making a mistake Shirou Emiya," warned Caster.

"Saving people is never considered a mistake," I replied.

The swords in my hand were sharp and ready. Caster was ready to begin the fight as well. However, before the fight started, I was stopped by a frantic voice.

"I order you with this Command Spell to not free any Homunculi or attack those two!"

My body jolted to a stop and I couldn't move for a second. My muscles and bones screamed as I tried to force my body to do anything. After a second, my body relaxed and I found myself not able to continue my attack against Caster. I looked back to see Fiore, who used two of her Command Spells.

"You idiot!" I screamed. "What are you doing?!"

Fiore sighed and rolled towards me. "I'm sorry Shirou. I can't let you free these Homunculi."

"Why not?!"

She looked down shamefully. "We need them so that we can fight to the best of our ability."

I stormed towards her, still angry. "Do you not feel anything for them? Do you really not feel bad for using them and just discarding them like that?!"

Fiore didn't answer and still looked down at her lap.

The anger I felt only grew, but I knew it was a helpless situation now.

I couldn't save them.

Roche walked out from behind Caster and strided by me. He stopped by Fiore and spoke. "Keep him on a tighter leash Fiore. We can't have him screwing things up for us now." Fiore nodded and Roche walked towards the elevator with Caster.

It was silent in the large room, except for the distant echoes of bodies flopping into a large, lifeless pile.

My hand clenched around Bakuya tightly and I could only whisper one thing. "Why?"

After a long while, Fiore answered.

"I'm sorry Shirou," she began. "Please understand." With that she wheeled herself back to the elevator and called out to me once more.

"You should come to bed soon and forget about all of this."

Like that, she was gone, heading up the creaky and dark elevator shaft.

I stood like that for a long time and waited. For what? I'm not sure, but I was rewarded for my patience.

From the large tube in front of me, I felt magical energy stir and I looked up to see the Homunculus in front of me activating his magical circuits. He was panicking it seemed, like he wanted to get out. He used a spell, but it wasn't strong enough to break the glass which trapped him. As soon as his escape began, it had failed and he gave up, a look of utter sadness on his face.

My heart stirred. I couldn't do anything for him thanks to Fiore's use of the command spells. (I was going to have a serious talk with her later…)

As I was now, I couldn't free him….

But what if he freed himself?

I walked up to the glass tube and looked at the Homunculus within. His red eyes stirred and he looked into my steel ones. I could see in those ruby eyes of his that he was begging for help. He had found a glimmer of hope.

"I can't free you," I said.

His face turned from one of hope, to one of anguish. The glimmer of hope in his eyes fizzled out.

"So," I began. "Try your hardest to free yourself."

I moved my finger to flick the glass and a large crack snaked across it. The fact that I was able to do it meant that this was not a breach of the command spell. His eyes opened wide and I smiled at him.

"Please….try your hardest."

With that, I left the chamber and headed up the elevator. I could only hope that he would escape. Even as a hero, that was the best I could do. It was laughable, but it should be enough to save the poor boy.

The rest was up to him.

. . . . . . . .

The Hero Gets To Work

END

 **Oof, I'm done!**

 **Since you guys asked for it, I'll give you Shirou's stats:**

 **Shirou Emiya**

 **Class: Archer**

 **-Strength: C**

 **-Endurance: B**

 **-Agility: B**

 **-Magical Energy: B**

 **-Luck: E**

 **-Noble Phantasm: You already know what it is.**

 **Class Abilities:**

 **-Magic Resistance**

 **-Independent Action**

 **. . . . . . . .**

 **News:**

 **I'm planning on updating twice a month so that my schedule can be a little more flexible. Thank you for your patience with this chapter and future chapters!**

 **Reviews:**

 **jrubio: Thanks for the lengthy review. As for UBW, you might be not too far off the mark….**

 **TL34: I agree. Harems are just really unnecessary in most stories and since Shirou is in love with Artoria, you don't have to worry about the harem god Shirou Emiya.**

 **AzHasANewName1: I have some ideas with what I want to do, but I'm not too sure if I want to keep Achilles or not. I still have a while to think about it, so we'll see what happens.**

 **challengunnar,dale: *Broken Phantasm intensifies***

 **KingPlotBunny: I'm keeping Mordred in the story as Saber of Red.**

 **Toramaru: I'll definitely have to clarify which Shirou is which and it will certainly be an interesting meeting between the two.**

 **framfrit: The idea of the conversation was for Shirou to aggravate her to the point where she shows a little hidden tsundere side which I immensely believe she has hidden somewhere deep down lol**

 **tl34lt12: This Shirou is different from EMIYA, but only looks similar to him because of the overuse of his magical circuits which turned his skin tan, his hair white, and his eyes grey. I will also definitely keep in mind the difference between Shirou Emiya and Shirou Kotomine so I won't confuse anyone.**

 **naovan10: I was literally doing the final review answer when yours popped up lol. Anyways, Shirou's UBW is going to be a little different from EMIYA's so you don't really have to worry about that. As for ShirouXSaber, I respect your opinion, but I must say that there is no other pairing that comes close to these lovebirds. LET THE WAIFU WARS BEGIN!**


	4. He Who Is Made Of Swords

**Hey, I'm back. I'm still trying to keep up with the two updates a month schedule and it's going pretty good so far. This chapter is going to be shorter than the last because I'm planning on having one biggish chapter followed by a smaller chapter each month. Last chapter was also the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfiction, even though it was only around 8k words.**

 **Anyway, thanks for coming back to read, and please excuse any mistakes if there are any.**

 **Let's begin!**

. . . . . . . .

He Who Is Made Of Swords

. . . . . . . .

He hated it.

The Homunculus hated every second that he spent confined in the oversized test tube. He was floating inside, he knew this, but how could he breathe? The moment that the thought of breathing entered his mind, his lungs contracted and the liquid choked him.

" _Damn,"_ he thought.

His arms were weak and they burned, and every second he spent inside the liquid, the more his lungs screamed for air. The lack of oxygen made his head go fuzzy and he found that there was a man standing in front of him. The man stared into his eyes with his steel-like irises. The man's hair was white and his skin tanned.

" _I can't free you…"_ the man stated.

The Homunculus blinked and the man was gone. A large crack had snaked its way across the test tube. He realized that he was looking at a memory and he remembered the man flicking the glass. The man was gone, but his words lingered.

" _So, try your hardest to free yourself."_

He thanked the man and silently promised to repay him in earnest later on. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the sound of the failed subjects flopping into a pile played over and over again. He remembered their lifeless eyes. He was angry, but most importantly, he felt a need to survive.

The Homunculus struggled more. Bubbles erupted from his mouth and his circuits crackled with newborn energy. His hand weakly floated forward until it rested against the glass.

"Straße gehen!"

The test tube burst from within, spilling its contents onto the cold, metal floor beneath.

The impact alone was enough to break the Homunculus in many different places. He could feel how frail his bones were, but with each gasping breath he revitalized them. A few glass shards were lodged in his hands, but he quickly picked them out and wrestled himself to his feet. As he got up, he took the chance to survey the surroundings.

For some odd reason, there were no other Homunculi around, save for the ones which were already in the glass enclosures. The pile of bodies from earlier had grown in number slightly.

A distinct tickle in his throat made him tear his gaze from the scene and he continued the task of standing up.

It wasn't very easy.

The Homunculus counted each withering second that it took for him to finally stand. Each second wasted meant a smaller opportunity for escape. His tiny legs ached after two steps and burned after four, but he pushed on. He traveled up the stairs to the observation platform and then to the elevator. It was at this point the hard part began.

Just as he was about to enter the elevator, he stole one last glance towards the chamber full of his brothers and sisters. Making a silent vow to return for them, he stepped onto the rickety elevator and ascended.

. . . . . . . .

Fiore had seen hell.

It was all around her. It was filling the air, drowning the screams of the people all around her, and funnily enough, was flowing from a hole in the sky. With each step, her tiny body's skin singed slightly. It was like she was being slowly cooked and a noxious, ashy smoke circulated through her lungs. She didn't know what she was looking for and didn't even know her own name except for her given one.

Shirou.

Concrete rubble cracked and collapsed, burying her. She could feel her legs being trapped and burning. She didn't have the will to scream in pain or cry. She had nothing.

She was going to die there and, realizing this, raised her hand up to the hole in the sky. It was strangely transfixing and her action had no real meaning or motivation behind it. She just felt like doing it. Soon, however, her arm grew tired and her eyes drooped ever so slightly.

" _It would be nice….to take a nap."_ she thought absent mindedly.

What could be taken as a last act of failed defiance, her raised arm, started to fall. Before it could settle back to the ground however, she felt a blistered, raw hand take hold of her own.

Her eyes were too lazy to move, but she could see the sight before her all the same. A man was crying, not with tears of sorrow, but with tears of joy.

"Thank God," he whispered over and over to himself. "I found someone…."

A single thought entered Fiore's mind before the area was engulfed in light.

" _I want to be happy like that…."_

. . . . . . . .

She and her father studied the stars in absent wonder. The man beside her wasn't her _actual_ father, but he was her father in this odd dream which continued for some reason.

Fiore couldn't really hear the conversation up until now, but she opened her mouth and spoke all the same.

"It's not a silly dream. I think it's amazing to save everyone like a hero."

Her father looked at her with a look that said " _if only you knew."_

Fiore felt like he was being unjust with himself, that he shouldn't give up so easily, but she knew deep down that he didn't have the time to change. Her emotions got the best of her and she blurted something out.

"I'll become one for you." Her heart fluttered when she said those words and she continued. "You couldn't become one so I'll do it for you. Just leave it to me and I'll make your dream come true!"

Her father smile sadly, but it seemed to put him at peace.

Just like that, he slipped into eternity. He was so peaceful that Fiore didn't dare speak up for the fear of waking him. She sat like that for a while, as the torch which was just passed down to her grew strong.

. . . . . . . .

She was beautiful beyond belief.

The way her blonde hair shined in the silver moonlight and her armor glistened. The way her invisible sword mistfully glowed. The way her calm and stoic expression made Fiore's stomach flip. The way the knight stood confidently, not allowing a single second of weakness to catch her.

Yes, all these things made the knight beautiful.

Fiore's list of things that made the knight beautiful expanded when she spoke. Her voice was smooth and demanding, yet warm and tender.

"Are you my Master?" the knight asked unceremoniously.

Fiore found herself too stunned to answer.

. . . . . . . .

The dream continued.

Fiore couldn't help but laugh as Matin and his sister wrestled on the hot Middle Eastern soil. She had taken a break from handing out rations to watch the two so they don't wander too far from the encampment. Taking a sip from her canteen, Fiore pushed back her hood and ran a hand through her sweaty, white hair.

Matin was a lanky kid, but he had heart. His dark skin and jet black hair comboed perfectly with his white t-shirt and shorts. Most of all, however, he had spunk. You couldn't keep this kid down.

Matin bounced back off the ground and his sister took the opportunity to charge, flinging the both of them back down to the earth. After a while, a muffle could be heard from under Lena.

"I give up! I give up!" Matin shouted in surrender.

You couldn't keep him down….unless he was up against his sister that was. Lena was built similarly: lanky and a big heart. The only difference was her slightly lighter skin and hair that was tied in a bun.

Laughing triumphantly, Lena hopped off of her brother and dragged him to his feet.

"It's my turn on Shirou's shoulders this time!" she exclaimed.

Fiore chuckled at the thought of the two fighting over the position. Every child in the village like riding up on Fiore's tall frame. She made a mentally reminded herself to find the reason behind her sudden growth in the last eight years. It was definitely abnormal.

Hoisting Lena up, Fiore started off back towards the camp. If their mother saw Lena rough-housing like this, Fiore would never hear the end of it.

With Matin close to her side, and Lena on her wide shoulders, Fiore shuffled up the dirt path back to the camp, making a note to get them both a nice cold glass of milk when they got back.

. . . . . . . .

The alarms blaring in her ears did not cease and instead only pounded their monotonous screams even more viciously into her head. Unconscious bodies lined the hallway behind her and she was sure that a bright, glorious light had just vanished before her.

She was weak, covered in injuries, and low on magical energy.

She knew she had to do it though. Fiore knew she had to save everyone.

The reactor was practically ready to blow at any moment and the blaring made it hard to concentrate, but Fiore was ready now. Raising her right hand and bracing it with her left, she began.

" **I am the bone of my sword."**

" **Steel is my body and fire is my blood."**

. . . . . . . .

The rope was digging into her neck, and Fiore didn't know what breathing felt like anymore. It hurt so much and she seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. Gravity was pulling her deeper and deeper into the rope.

Deeper and deeper into death.

Out of nowhere, Fiore noticed a red sweatshirt in the crowd, but couldn't fully recognize her. She did however make note of the oddity, even though it won't do her much good in a bit.

Her last moments were the least agonizing as her body grew number and number and the world grew dimmer. The jeers and cheers of the crowd grew fainter too.

" _Is this death?"_ she asked herself in her mind.

Her mind raced with a multitude of questions as she panicked to fight against the end. One question however calmed her erratic heart. It was a question which she had secretly always asked herself, and now she was asking it here at the end.

"Did I become a hero for you Kiritsugu?"

. . . . . . . .

Fiore jolted awake in her bed. Tears rolled down her face and her body shook uncontrollably. She recounted everything that happened. She played over all the events in her dreams and she realized multiple things:

One, she was seeing the past of the Hero of Justice known as Shirou Emiya.

Two, she had the uncontrollable urge to vomit, but had no way to get to the bathroom without trying to drag herself into her wheelchair..

And Three, she realized how much of a betrayal she had unknowingly inflicted upon Shirou.

A man who lived to help others, forced to sit back and watch as they perish. A person he trusted his life with in a war has betrayed his trust and taken away his sole purpose for living this new life.

Fiore dropped her head into her hands and weeped.

If only she had known what saving people had meant to Shirou, she might have avoided the whole situation of the night before.

Fiore berated herself for the childish and idiotic use of her command seals. Grandfather had pulled her aside and questioned her about it, to which she explained what happened. He sighed, saying, "It couldn't be helped." With that he was gone and he left Fiore to ponder the events last night in her head.

The truth of the matter was that it _could_ have been helped, but Fiore felt she was too stupid to find the correct solution.

After a couple of minutes of self-correction, Fiore wrestled herself out of bed and into her wheelchair. She could have called for a Homunculus, but she would rather not be seen in such a state. As she wheeled herself to the bathroom, Fiore spied a food tray on the table. She turned and rolled over to the table, lifting the tray to reveal an immaculate Western style breakfast.

Fiore lifted her fork guiltily and went to take a bite before stopping and thanking someone for the food in a foreign language. She shook her head, realizing the dreams must still be somewhat rubbing off on her. Nevertheless, she continued and enjoyed a scrumptious meal, albeit in a sorrowful and shameful mood.

. . . . . . . .

He Who Is Made Of Swords

END

. . . . . . . .

 **Reviews:**

 **EternalKing: Yeah, I knew the whole Alaya having a personality thing would put some people off, but I did it because besides that encounter, I plan to steer clear of Alaya and Gaia and stuff like that since I don't know much about it. I prob should have just made her plain as hell but, I just wanted to add flavor, so in my eyes it's whatever. As for Shirou's dialogues, this Shirou is a little goofy and happy-go-lucky compared to his depressing, cynical counterpart. He will get more serious later on, but he'll always kind of be like this. I like him this way because it puts a little more playfulness into such a serious story. I hope it doesn't end up as a bad thing, but only time will tell.**

 **FireFox614: I see you're a man of culture as well.**

 **Sneky: Yeah, their relationship is definitely gonna be strained from here on out, but Shirou still holds up to his commitments (Ex. making breakfast for Fiore even after her use of the command seal.)**

 **P.S. Loli ZeroTwo is the cutest**

 **calvin9871: I want to give Shirou his own NP besides UBW, but I'm not sure what I want it to be yet :P**

 **Researcher Clowitzer: It says on the FSN Wiki that Archer got his appearance change (hair, skin, eyes) from using too much Projection magic and it having a rebound effect. Both scenarios would work fine though, seeing as how hot it is in the Middle East.**

 **Midnight49: Too many spoilers if I were to give that away, but it will all come in due time. I'm still not sure if I want to replace Achilles or not, seeing how Shirou could just sword spam him till he hits his weak spot.**

 **Warmach1ne32: I thought of that but then remembered how Siegfried just ripped out his own heart later on to give to Sieg, so I just decided to roll with the idea that he can harm himself. As for Rin and Shirou, looking back I realize that it was more hostile than I intended, so I might go change it up. Thanks for reviewing tho.**


	5. Are The Pieces In Place?

**Sorry for taking so long with this, but my hand's healed now and I'm ready to go!**

 **Also, someone pointed out a minor mistake on my part during the chapter with the fight between Shirou and Siegfried. I had forgotten that Siegfried is basically invincible against any weapon ranked B and below, and during the fight Shirou shot a sword into his forearm which pierced his skin. My question is, should I keep the scene unchanged and just make it to where Shirou fired a random A ranked sword at him, or change the scene around?**

 **Just a little question before we begin and I'm personally leaning towards changing it, but if you guys are ok with it, I could just move on. Anyway, thanks for reading up to this point and let's….**

 **Begin!**

. . . . . . . .

Are The Pieces In Place?

. . . . . . . .

I had finally gotten the hang of finding my way around the large castle. With its winding paths and numerous doors, there was no markers in which I could try to find my bearings, so I made use of my Structural Grasping, taking in the layout and blueprints of the large castle. I felt like my head was being filled with water as I took in every bit of information, but the feeling soon let up and I had a perfect map of the entire place.

Just earlier I had brought up Fiore's breakfast. Even after the incident last night, I still had made a promise to make her breakfast everyday. Even if it was a rather unimportant promise, I still intend to keep it.

She had been sleeping when I entered. I quickly and quietly entered, placed her food on the table, and made my way back to the door. As I walked past, I heard a distinct mutter.

"I'll be one….for you."

I froze and looked back at her sleeping figure. Upon closer inspection, I found that she was softly crying in her sleep.

My chest tightened.

Could she be experiencing the dream cycle? I let out a sigh and walked briskly out of the room, taking extra care to close the door quietly.

If she was seeing my memories, she will most likely put together that I'm from an alternate reality with an alternate history. That in and of itself isn't inherently a _bad_ thing, but it will most likely cause problems. If she sees Rin from my memories and recognizes her in this reality, it might become a huge headache though.

For now, however, she most likely won't be able to see much since our link as Servant and Master isn't solid enough yet.

I went over these possibilities in my mind as I headed back towards the kitchen. As I entered, I was greeted by several Homunculi who had welcomed me into their workplace.

They were certainly apprehensive about it when I asked if I could use their space, but they really didn't reject all that much. I solidified their trust when I helped around the place. Now, they let me have free reign over the kitchen and I help them as much as I can.

The reason I came back here was to wash the dishes I had dirtied earlier, and to pass the time until Fiore woke up.

The Homunculi had spent all morning preparing and cooking meals for the inhabitants of the castle and I was there to help them along.

"Sir Emiya," one Homunculi girl called. "These are the meals for the Masters. Would you mind covering them and keeping them warm?"

I dropped the sponge, which I was vigorously scrubbing a pot with, and dried my hands on a nearby towel.

"Sure thing," I answered. "But please, just call me Shirou. The honorific and my family name makes me feel like an old man."

The Homunculi stared at me with a look of pure surprise. Correcting herself, she answered. "To do so would be extremely disrespectful. To even say your familial name is pushing the boundaries. Please do not lower yourself to the level of a Homunculus such as I."

There it was. I expected it, mostly because I had already asked half the kitchen staff the same thing. They didn't have names, so I couldn't even really talk familiarly with them, but I wanted to become close to them all the same. I'm probably the only one who even treats them like humans around here.

Sighing, I muttered, "Alright then."

There was no room to argue with them so I gave up, a dejected frown spreading across my face.

I had begun placing a lid on all the food trays when the door to the kitchen opened, announcing a new arrival. I turned to see Saber enter and all the Homunculi bow. He looked around uncomfortably and calmed down when the Homunculi finally lifted all their heads. Scratching his head absently, Saber saw me from the corner of his eye and greeted me with a smile.

"Good morning Shirou."

"Good morning to you as well. What brings you to my kitchen?" I answered back while wiping my hands.

Saber let out a chuckle. "I see this very much has become your territory."

"Well, honestly, I'm just here disrupting their work." I stated while smiling.

"Please, Sir Emiya, you are not a burden to us. In fact, we are mostly all a burden to you," stated one male Homunculi respectively.

"Please stop. I think I just aged twenty years." I replied with a depressed tone.

Saber chuckled again. "Haha, its quite nice to see Homunculi engaging in banter, even if it is still as respectful as that."

I crossed my arms, "That was banter? Felt like I was being talked to like an old king. It gives me the heebie jeebies."

We spent a second watching the Homunculi work before Saber spoke up once more.

"Ah, I got distracted. I came here to get my Master's breakfast. Is it ready yet?"

"Yep," I said while picking up a tray. "Just came off the stove. Here, let me carry that up for you-"

As I began to walk off, an eruption of gasps and screams caught me off guard. Looking back, I looked on in horror as a large fire erupted from one of the many stoves. The flames were so high, they licked at the ceiling. The kitchen staff could only watch as one of their own was caught ablaze and panicking.

I vaulted over the counter yelling for Saber to follow suit, to which he responded with a nod.

I ran to the closet which connected to the kitchen and came out with a fire extinguisher and immediately began combating the raging flames. Saber, on the other hand, had successfully extinguished the flaming Homunculi and corralled the others away from the fire. It took a while, but soon the fire itself had been extinguished and I dropped the extinguisher to the ground, rushing to the injured Homunculi. She had burns on her right arm and she was trying desperately not to scream.

I picked her up and carried her to the door princess-style.

"Saber, sorry but you'll have to take up your Master's meal on your own! Someone, lead me to the infirmary!"

The male Homunculi from earlier stepped forward and led me out the door, down the hall, and deeper into the castle.

. . . . . . . .

As the Hero of Justice left the kitchen with the injured Homunculi, Siegfried could only watch as the remaining kitchen staff resumed the preparations for breakfast. He was unsure if it was safe to continue cooking around a recently extinguished fire, but he assumed they knew what they were doing.

"Homunculus," he said to the nearest cook. "Are you sure it is safe to continue to cook after such an event?"

The cook bowed his head respectively. "Sir Saber, even if it is unsafe, we must continue. Safety is of no concern; we are Homunculi after all."

Something stirred in Siegfried's heart. He could feel it deep within his chest and in the core of his being. No matter how much he tried, the feeling was unshakable.

It was the wish to help these poor souls.

He had spent his life as a hero to all. After bathing in the blood of the evil dragon Fafnir, his body became invincible, save for a leaf shaped spot on his back. This invincibility made him untouchable to any normal human if they didn't know of that certain weak spot. It also made him able to carry out even the most dangerous of requests for the people of the world. They would ask for help and he would give it.

His life continued like this for a long while, an endless cycle of being asked for help and always helping. It wasn't bothersome to him and he enjoyed helping people. It was the life of a hero.

The more that people asked for his help, the more he began to realize something. Siegfried wanted to help people without being asked to help; he wanted to be a hero that could spot people in need and help them without them having to tell him. It was his only wish.

However, heroes can't have wishes.

It was because of his great strength and invincibility that he was shackled to the foundations of the idea known as heroism. He had felt this feeling throughout his whole life and only realized this truth in death.

The wish to help these Homunculi could not be fulfilled if they did not tell him to help them. He would not overstep his boundaries as a hero. However, the feeling in his chest ached tremendously when Siegfried realized that these Homunculi would never ask for help.

He could do nothing.

As he was thinking these things over in his mind, Siegfried turned away from the Homunculi with his Master's meal in his hands.

The guilt clawed at his chest.

He could do nothing.

There was only one person who had the hope of saving these poor souls locked in unquestionable servitude. It was the man who had broken past the boundaries of a hero to become the ultimate hero: the Hero of Justice, Shirou Emiya. That man is the only one worthy of being called a hero, and the only one who would save them without being asked.

Siegfried's chest tightened even more.

He could do nothing.

He could do nothing….and yet, why did he want to be able to do something so bad?

The question lingered in his mind until he had found himself back in his Master's room. Gordes was already drinking so early in the morning and, when Siegfried entered, the overweight Master started complaining.

"What took you so long?"

"There was an accident in the kitchen Master."

Gordes huffed, obviously agitated. Siegfried carried the delicious looking breakfast over to him and watched as the large man chowed down. For a short while there was only silence in the room, save for Gordes' gasps for air in between mouthfuls of food. Sooner or later he finished and pushed his plate away from him.

"That was great!" he burped. "Now, let's get down to business."

Gordes leaned back in his chair and began.

"It seems the mediator of the war, Ruler has entered Romania. They can be extremely helpful if we were to bring them over to our side."

"I thought the Ruler wasn't supposed to take sides during the war…." said Siegfried.

"Yes, well…." Gordes grumbled, "The thing is, the Red faction are no doubt already heading for her so we have to move fast. Darnic has already assigned us to go and get them. We can expect at least one other Servant to be there, and hopefully there only is one."

"I understand," stated Siegfried. "When shall we depart?"

"Now, though I am sure it will not be until nightfall when we find them," answered Gordes as he pulled himself out of his chair. He began to open the door to leave before turning back to Siegfried.

"I hope you don't give me another shitty display like last night. As your Master, your skill in battle is a reflection of me, and after last night I'm in a precarious position with Darnic. This is my chance to redeem myself, so don't screw it up!"

Siegfried bowed his head.

"I understand."

Gordes then fully opened the door and motioned for Siegfried to follow.

He obeyed.

. . . . . . . .

The infirmary was quite large.

It's walls were white, pristine, and tall. The tiled floor was a glossy and clean. As I looked around, I spotted many beds which each had their own curtain for privacy. Other than that, the only other things there were the many medical instruments and cabinets, and finally the nurse herself.

She was also a Homunculus, her light brown hair tied back into a bun with sharp, red eyes. Her face was round and gentle and she just barely came up to my chest in height. I'm 6'1''. She was dressed in a lab coat with a black dress underneath and a stethoscope hanging from her neck.

As I entered the room with the injured Homunculus in my arms, she swivelled in her office chair to face me.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Um, yes. You see, this Homunculus was injured in the kitchen. I was hoping you could help her," I answered.

The nurse's eyes looked up at the girl in my arms disinterestedly.

"Bring her to this bed here." The nurse pointed to the bed closest to her with a pen and I obeyed, bringing the Homunculus to the bed and gently setting her down.

The nurse used her foot to propel herself towards us, all the while still in her chair. She grabbed the Homunculus' arm and observed it closely, earning a slight whimper from the injured girl.

"Okay. She'll be fine. Minor burns. It's nothing that'll warrant her to be disposed." The nurse grabbed a clipboard from the nearby table and began scribbling away, seemingly unfazed by what she said.

"Hold on," I started. "Did you say disposed?"

She looked up from her clipboard. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

I looked at her incredulously. "'Is there a problem?' Of course there's a problem! Why would you have to dispose of anybody?!"

"If a Homunculus is too injured, why would we waste precious time and medicine when we could just create another? Of course, if they only have light injuries we'll treat them, but this infirmary is mainly used for the human workers and residence." She stated all of this in a matter-of-fact tone.

I could only look at the Homunculus nurse in disbelief.

"Aren't you a homunculus too? What would you think if you were to be disposed of?!"

"I would accept it," she stated. "It is what must be done. What does it matter to you if a Homunculus dies?"

The nurse's eyes never held a hint of a joke. She was emotionless and uncaring for herself and her fellow kind. Such a disregard for life makes me sick to my stomach.

When I failed to answer, she went back to scribbling away on the clipboard. I knew arguing wouldn't help; it didn't help the kitchen staff at all.

It kept gnawing at me though.

How can these living, breathing people not understand their own worth? Shouldn't they know they are worth more than this, that they have a life they can live?

The thought made me angry.

Why does Yggdmillennia use these Homunculi in such inhuman ways? Maybe I'll never get the answers to the questions, but a part of me wants to help them in any way I can.

All of my hopes to help them were placed in that one Homunculus, the one down in that lab. I can only pray that he uses the strength he has to escape.

"So what is your name? I need to write a report."

The nurse's words snatched me from my thoughts.

"Ah, yes. My name is Shirou Emiya."

The nurse's eyes widened for a second and them went back to normal.

"Forgive me," she apologized. "I didn't know that you were a Servant. My rudeness is most disgraceful."

Here we go.

"Please, I've had enough with all the formalities, just continue to talk with me casually like before." I said all this while scratching my head.

I visibly saw her debate over whether or not she should comply or not.

"I'm sorry, but that would be extremely disrespectful and unprofessional on my behalf," she said with the same emotionless face.

There was just no getting through to these guys.

I let out a disappointed sigh and bowed before taking my leave. As I opened the door, I took the chance to sneak one more worried glance at the injured Homunculus before leaving. The nurse began rummaging around a couple of cabinets and drawers and the injured girl laid in the bed, her face contorted in pain still.

I can only hope she gets the care she needs.

With that thought floating around in my mind, I finally stepped out into the large hallway.

. . . . . . . .

"So, how much did you see?"

Fiore could only look down into her lap as I spoke to her. The breakfast I had brought her earlier had long since been eaten, and I while I have no doubt it was delicious, it seemed to do nothing to improve her mood. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she look drained of all energy.

"It might do you some good to get a little more sleep," I continued.

She shook her head.

"I don't want to sleep again if it means I have to see that every time," she whispered, a tinge of pain in her voice.

"The dream cycle is kind of random, but if I had to guess, I'd say you get stronger dreams as the bond with your Servant grows stronger. However, I can only speak from my limited experience. Besides, it's not like you can never go to sleep again."

Fiore's hands clenched tightly into fists and her shoulders shook. She finally looked up at me for the first time.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. Just like that, her gaze was right back in her lap again.

Witnessing all of that must have been hard, huh?

I stepped forward and gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. My gaze was stern. She blushed, but I ignored it and continued.

"Don't be sorry. If I wasn't so idealistic and sentimental, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"But," she began, "I forced you to turn a blind eye to those Homunculi in need. I forced you to go against the very nature you stand for as a hero."

"Don't blame yourself, you're a highly competent Master. I should've been prepared for that," I whispered. "I should've been prepared to turn on my ideals and do anything to win this war…"

There was a pause.

"... But, I can't do that. You see, I promised someone that I'd do my very best to become the person I want to be. If I were to turn back now, all that I've done to reach that person will be gone. It's that reason that I will continue to fight against injustice, even if everyone else turns a blind eye to it."

Fiore looked at me with sorrowful eyes. Swirling deep within them was also pity.

"Your father… he left you with a curse," she whispered. "He left you with a task which is impossible!"

"You won't know it's impossible if you don't try," I chuckled.

"How can you be so calm! Doesn't it make you angry? All you did was good for everyone, and in the end you were betrayed by those you saved!"

"There was times when I wondered… why me? But, if you want me to be honest, I just enjoyed helping people. I considered it my way of atoning for what I had done."

Yes. Deep down, all I was doing was trying to make sure those that had died on that fiery night didn't die for nothing. If helping people also helped me get closer to reaching _her_ then I would step forward without even looking.

Fiore stared into my steel eyes and closed her own. With a smile, she said, "Gosh, you're so stubborn."

I let go of her chin and she wiped her eyes.

"Fiore, as my Master, I promise you this: We will win this war and you will get back the use in your legs. I will also not forsake or turn on the ideals I stand for."

She nodded and smiled at reassuringly.

"Now," I began as I walked over to the window. "It's time you stop moping around." I drew back the curtains and Fiore ducked back under the covers. I stifled a laugh.

"You could've warned me a little!" she whined.

"I think you should've seen where I was going with that, so that's on you." I picked up her food tray from the table and took it to a Homunculus in the hallway who then brought it back to the kitchen. I felt bad to dump that on him, but I still had important business with Fiore.

I came back into the room and helped Fiore into her wheelchair. She adjusted her legs so that they fit comfortably and took a moment to push herself forward and backwards.

"So," I began. "Back to my original question. How much did you see?"

Fiore fiddled with her hands a tiny bit and answered.

"There was a fire. Then, your father came and the area was engulfed in light. After, it was you and your father and he told you about his dream to become a hero."

She paused for a second.

"... Then, he was dead. Next, I saw a blonde woman. She was beautiful and you couldn't find any words to say."

I scratched the back of my neck at the memory of the enchanting, yet obviously awkward first encounter with Artoria.

"After that, you were in the desert. There were children with you. There was a… war?"

"Yes," I answered. "Matin and Lena along with their mother were survivors of a bombing in the Middle East. Their father had been a part of a rebel group based out of their hometown. The dictator of the country had caught wind of it and brought soldiers into the town to kill all of the men and take the women and children. A neighboring country used the opportunity to completely wipe out the rebel group along with a sizable chunk of the country's army."

Fiore looked down sadly. "Do things really get that bad in the future?" she asked.

"Let's hope not. There's still hope for this timeline as far as I can tell. Anyways, I got off track. Continue please."

Fiore nodded. "After, there were lots of lights and alarms. There were people on the floor behind you and the entire place was going to explode. Then you said those words you always say before doing something cool and the rest is fuzzy."

It seems she didn't see the full thing. That'll keep my trump card safe for a little while longer. Is my chant really that cool though?

"Then," she continued. "I couldn't breath."

She stopped saying "you" and began using "I". It must have been really painful for her if she experienced everything the way she said she did.

"There was a girl in the crowd. I felt like she was important, but I couldn't see her face."

I breathed a sigh of relief as that's one last headache to deal with.

Fiore paused before saying the next part, but when she did, I could feel an unnatural chill in her voice.

"Then I died."

. . . .

. . . .

"Then you didn't see that much," I said. "I'm sorry that you had to witness and experience such horrible things."

Fiore's natural, calm demeanor took over and she spoke. "Ah, don't be. It's not like you can control it."

I nodded and Fiore began to wheel herself to the walk in closet.

"Let me change into some other clothes and then we'll get to work," she stated.

As I was about to nod again, the door to the room flung open and in came Caster, Darnic, and Roche.

"Hey!" I barked. "A simple knock will do!"

Darnic stepped forward and smiled. "I'm sure it would, but we're kind of in a hurry right now. You see, one of the promising Homunculi down in the labs has broken free. It was intended to be used as the core of Caster's Noble Phantasm, but we can't find it anywhere. Caster here has told me about the little scuffle from the night before. All of that being said, you wouldn't happen to know anything would you?"

I had to hide the joy in my face at the thought of the young Homunculi escaping.

"While I would assume it had something to do with me if I was presented with the same evidence, I must tell you that I would not be able to do anything as my Master has bound me by Command Seal to not free the Homunculi."

Darnic's eyes focused slightly and an intense pressure permeated the room. "From what I was told of the Command, it was full of loopholes. I also see that you've already used two of your Seals Fiore."

Fiore clutched her hand tightly, earning a larger grin from Darnic.

"You see," he began. "I don't quite like you Archer."

The feelings were mutual and I almost glared at him, but I fought it back and kept my silence.

"It's quite obvious that you are influencing Fiore here in a negative way. I would have never dreamed that she would use two Command Seals so foolishly, but… here we are. I also know that you've been given special treatment to the Homunculi. I'll only say this next part because it is apparent that you avidly defy your Master and it's not her fault you are so disobedient. _Keep yourself in check_."

Our eyes did not part and my expression had, unbeknownst to me, already lowered into a glare. Our presences were fighting for dominance in the silent room. However, as fast as the confrontation had started, it was over.

Darnic turned back towards the door and began to leave. Caster and Roche left first, but Darnic stopped in the doorway, eyeing me from the side.

"Oh, and if you do happen to know where that stray Homunculi is, please do let me know. I just received word from the Master of Assassin that they are nearly here. I'm sure Assassin should be able to sniff out the rat. Anyways, have a good morning."

Like that he was gone.

I turned to an uneasy Fiore.

"You don't know anything about that do you?" she asked.

. . . .

. . . .

"Of course not! I'm bound by Command Seal remember?"

Fiore nodded and rolled into her walk in closet. I offered assistance, but she was quick to shoot me down.

While she was changing, a knock at the door spurred me to action. I opened the door to see a pink haired goofball with a nearly naked Homunculus on his back. Astolfo's smile said a thousand words, but I picked out a question which fit the most.

" _A little help?"_

This castle had gotten extremely large the more I explored it.

However, here I was at the center of it, feeling as though I was suffocating.

. . . . . . . .

Hyouma Sagara dragged a lazy hand through his hair as he stared up at the walls of the castle.

"This place's pretty big, huh?"

His Servant, Assassin, simply nodded.

His expression was unreadable from underneath the red hood and bandages, but Sagara could tell that his Servant was on guard. His hand was always near his holster, ready to draw it in an instant.

"C'mon," said Sagara. "Let's go introduce ourselves to our teammates slash enemies."

The Assassin didn't show any expression, but he finally spoke. When he did, his voice was cold and piercing.

"I'm glad to see you have your priorities straight," grumbled Assassin.

With that, they strolled forward, ready to become members of the Black Faction.

. . . . . . . .

Are The Pieces In Place?

END

. . . . . . . .


	6. First Contact

**Hello~**

 **Thanks for coming back and reading again! Hopefully this chapter will expand upon the Black Faction and the story as much as I want it to. Also, some of you may have guessed who our mysterious Assassin was, but those of you who don't know, I won't spoil it till a little later in this chapter. That being said, rest easy, and let's begin!**

. . . . . . . .

First Contact

. . . . . . . .

"Saber! Get him!"

Siegfried zoomed forward, his tattered cape billowing behind him in the wind. The target was building up energy and giving off an ominous, looming glow. He was only in the air for about a second, but Siegfried had already deduced that his target was most likely Lancer of Red. The girl in front of him must have also been Ruler.

As he raised his sword for an overhead strike, Lancer blocked Siegfried's strike, sending the swordsman sailing over him with his weapon rearing for another attack. He let the swing loose, sending a deadly, invisible slash of air towards his target. The surprise that Lancer experienced was only temporary as he blocked the incoming strike.

It was negated, but the area around Lancer was damaged, one casualty being an innocent highway sign that used to stand directly behind him.

Siegfried let his lungs exhale as he stared at his target once more. The attack seemed to have no effect except for the fact that the dark energy that was around Lancer seemed to have dissipated.

In the dark of night, the two warriors exchanged no words until Lancer finally spoke.

"You must be Saber of Black…" he deduced calmly.

Lancer of Red's pale skin glimmered brilliantly in the moonlight and his silver hair flowed majestically. The impression he gave off was so majestic and king like that Siegfried was sure that the man was one.

Siegfried removed himself from his thoughts and responded to Lancer with a small nod. Having your head in the clouds could get you killed on the battlefield.

"Then…" continued Lancer. "Your objective must also be Ruler." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

The silence permeated the air around them and started to become impatient, that is until Gordes waddled over to them. He was panting and wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He approached the Ruler from behind.

"Huff...huff...that was a close one Ruler! We...huff...of the Black Faction have come here to...huff...welcome you."

The Ruler, a beautiful blonde women with thick yet elegant armor, turned her attention away from the fight and towards Gordes.

"I assume you are Saber of Black's Master?" she questioned.

Gordes took the time while she spoke to straighten his tie and straighten himself to his full height.

"That is correct," he answered proudly. "I am Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia and it is a pleasure to meet you." He then turned his attention to Lancer. "Now then Lancer of Red, we have arrived here just in time to clearly witness you attempt to murder Ruler!

Lancer only looked at him calmly as Gordes continued.

"Plotting to kill the arbitrator of the Holy Grail War is a direct violation of the rules and I will not stand for it!"

Lancer kept up his poker face as he answered. "I will not deny it, but now that the Black Faction is here, I will continue with you two." He levelled his lance, ready to engage.

"Silence!" yelled Gordes. "Accept your defeat which will be swiftly delivered by Saber and Ruler!"

"Sorry."

Gordes looked at Ruler and uttered a "huh?", all the while a dumbfounded expression crept up his face.

The woman turned towards him and repeated herself. "I said 'sorry'. I've no reservations about you fighting here, however as the Ruler class, a battle between Servants is not something I should intervene in."

Siegfried, whose sword had been trained on Lancer this entire time, prepared his body for the battle which was fastly approaching its continuation.

"Lancer may have threatened my life, but the battle between he and Saber of Black is entirely none of my business. As Ruler, it is my duty to uphold the rules of this war."

"So you intended to fight me two against one, huh?" asked Lancer with one of his eyes closed. The attention of the conversation was back on him again and the air around him started running cold.

Gordes began to feel a mix of panic and anger, and as a vein bulged from his temple, he shouted his command.

"Saber! Kill him!"

The air became tense and the moon shrank behind the clouds as if it was hiding from the sight of the upcoming battle.

"Well then…" began Lancer. "Let us proceed."

Siegfried tightened his grip around his sword and got into his battle stance. This battle would most likely be long and hard, but the only choice he had was to continue and fight.

"That determined look in your eye…" mused Lancer. "I once knew a man with eyes like yours and he was without doubt an incredible hero. For someone such as you to have that same gaze… this battle must be fate."

The powerful and ominous aura from before had washed over Lancer again as he aimed his sword directly at his opponent.

Siegfried thought that this was starting to become bothersome, the talking that is.

"You may call me Karna, the son of the Sun God. To whom do I have the honor of fighting?"

"The wandering hero of the Netherlands," answered the swordsman. "You may call me Siegfried. Pardon my brashness!"

Siegfried levelled his sword and the two Servants rocketed towards each other in an explosion of pure energy and determination.

. . . . . . . .

 _Earlier that day…_

. . . . . . . .

 _Each step sent a hot wave of pain through his legs and every time he took one his legs would sink into the blackish red abyss beneath him. He heard their screams._

" _ **HELP!"**_

" _ **Help me…"**_

" _ **Oh God!"**_

" _ **HELP US!"**_

" _ **PLEASE."**_

" _ **Kill me…"**_

" _ **HELP!"**_

" _ **IT HURTS!"**_

" _ **AGHHHH!"**_

" _ **LET ME OUT!"**_

" _ **NO MORE!"**_

" _ **Why…"**_

 _He lumbered forward with his arms outstretched. He was reaching for their voices, but swiping nothing but air. The green glow of the tanks burned his eyes in this empty, dark place. He was surrounded by them._

 _The floating Homunculi._

 _It was their voices which rang so loudly in his head and haunted him. Every step he took, they would keep moving farther and farther away until he could see them dissipating into nothing. He moved forward for no reason at this point, but the fear of being left behind made him panic._

 _I don't want to be alone._

 _The tears were spilling from his eyes now and darkness overtook him. He felt as if he was underwater, but he did not move slowly and only fell faster and faster._

 _help..._

 _help..._

 _please someone…_

"HELP!"

His eyes shot open and immense light blinded him. Tears had wet his face and his weak arm dragged itself over his face reflexively. Time passed and he drew the hand away from his face. His vision began to clear and he spotted a sleeping figure on a chair next to him. HIs lips parted and raspy sounds escaped from his dry throat.

"Ah...uhh...hel...lo…"

The sleeping person's eyes parted slightly before fully shooting open with a happy smile accompanying them.

"Hey! You're finally awake!"

The Homunculus finally analyzed the person next to them. It was a bubbly girl with pink hair tied into a braid. In her hair were two ribbons and a patch of white hair. She had a cloak wrapped around her and slightly larger canines than normal.

"Are...you the one...who saved...me?"

"Yep! My name's Astolfo and I'm the one who saved you! You remember? You do remember right?!"

The Homunculus smiled before answering. "Yeah...thank you…"

To think he was saved by such a pretty girl…

"Don't worry about it," laughed Astolfo before studying the Homunculus' face. "Hey, did you have a bad dream or something?"

He grimaced at the remembrance of what he experienced earlier.

"More like a nightmare…" he answered.

He can't remember much. The only thing that he remembers is breaking out, walking for a little while and then collapsing. But… there was something else. Something important.

. . . .

. . . .

The man!

"Excuse me!" he exclaimed. "Do you know a man with white hair and dark skin?"

Astolfo's smile widened before she answered. "I sure do! Who do you think this room is for?"

Questioningly, he looked around the room and there he was. The man was leaning up against the wall in all his mysterious glory.

The dark skinned man looked up and walked over to bedridden Homunculus.

"Hey, it looks like you did it," he smiled.

The Homunculus was too shocked to speak and could only stare at the man with his mouth wide open.

"Haha," he chuckled. "Looks like a I gave you a shock. You must be pretty overwhelmed huh? Well, allow me to fill you in…"

The man sat down on the end of the bed.

"My name is Shirou Emiya and this is Astolfo. Now, before I continue, I would like to inform you of something crucial," he began formally.

"Ah, sure. What is it?" asked the Homunculus.

"Astolfo is a boy…"

The pause in the room was deafening.

After what seemed like a full minute, the Homunculus spoke.

"...Huh?"

. . . . . . . .

The next twenty or so minutes was spent telling the Homunculus the situation he was in. I told him about the War and about how everyone here in Yggdmillennia was looking for him. And of course, I explained his health situation.

"So," I continued. "As it stands now, I'd say that you have at least two to four more years to live."

The Homunculus' eyes closed slightly, as if he were remembering something awful again. "I'm well aware," he sighed.

"Ah, don't be sad. That's still a lot of time to do many things! Once we can get you out of here, while you may be weak, you can travel and see all kinds of stuff!" chirped Astolfo.

"Yes," I piped up. "You should consider what it is that you want to do and we would be more than happy to help." I tried to smile and alleviate some of the dread he was visibly feeling.

However, the Homunculus only closed his eyes and rested his head back onto his pillow. "I don't even know what it is that I want to do…"

I stood up to my full height and stared at the boy.

"That life of yours was saved and it would be kind of disrespectful to the person who saved you if you threw it all away, wouldn't it?"

The boy's eyes shot opened and he stammered to speak. "Ah! I'm not trying to be ungrateful or anything! I'm sorr-"

"That's enough!" I stated. The Homunculus stopped talking and I continued.

"I'm not saying that you should feel bad or anything. I'm saying that you shouldn't waste the life that you've only just been given the chance to live. As long as you do something meaningful, I'm pretty sure whoever saved that life of yours would be glad."

The young Homunculus only stared back into my gray eyes.

" _Archer. Assassin and his Master just arrived. We should go introduce ourselves."_

I sighed before replying. "On my way."

I turned towards the door and Astolfo retreated into his spirit form. As I reached for the doorknob, I looked back at the bedridden boy one more time before speaking.

"Just outside this door are people who would take you and kill you. While this is my room, I don't use it, but be on guard just in case. I'm not on best of terms with the guy who runs the place."

With that, I left the Homunculus alone in thought.

. . . . . . . .

"Hello everyone, my name's Hyouma Sagara and this' my Servant, Assassin."

The blonde man was dressed in a white suit with a cigar dangling from his mouth. To be honest he looked like a Yakuza, but he seemed like a decent enough guy from where I was standing.

Finally, all of the Black Faction were in one room, save for Gordes and Saber.

Celenike with Astolfo, Rider.

Caules with Frankenstein, Berserker.

Darnic with Vlad, Lancer.

Roche with Avice Braun, Caster.

Sagara with Assassin.

And finally, Fiore with me, the Archer.

While we had no idea what we were up against in regards to the Red Faction, we were all pretty confident that victory would be ours, especially with Vlad's extreme boost of power in his homeland.

Darnic introduced himself to Sagara first, naturally.

"We are glad that the summoning has seemed to go well and that you are now here with us to fight off the Mage's Association."

"Don't worry about it," said Sagara cooly as he ran his hand through his hair. "With my Servant here, we are all but guaranteed to win."

That pompous attitude of his reminded me of a certain someone. Let's hope he's just as stupid as that person in mind.

"As you know, we couldn't attain as many relics as we had wanted to for a more certain summoning. We had to borrow quite a bit from those foolish Tohsakas and even give them a place to stay for the night. That daughter of his was quite noisy…" explained Darnic.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen am I right? In any case, it wasn't a problem. As you can see my Servant just exhumes power," replied Sagara.

As I studied the new addition to our faction, I couldn't help but agree. His body was not by any means intimidating, but the way the hooded man carried himself and the stench of death that lingered around him made me me shudder.

Still not as scary as Heracles though.

"Anyway, I think we should take the chance to get to know each other. This is my Servant Vlad III, but he is the 'master' of this land in every sense of the word. Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Saber and his Master are currently pursuing Ruler right now so they are not here, but I'm certain you can meet them when they return."

Sagara nodded and greetings continued.

Astolfo stepped forward with his usual bubbly attitude and began introducing himself. "Hi! I'm Astolfo and this is my Master." Celenike looked a little annoyed by her Servant, but pushed it to the side.

And so each Master and Servant introduced themselves and everything went smoothly. That is until it was Fiore and I's turn.

"Hello, my name is Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia and this is my Servant, Archer. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Sagara smiled widely and took her hand in his. "Ah, to think they have so many beautiful ladies here! I do look forward to working with you."

Fiore bowed her head and I spoke up. "Hello. I'm the Archer class Servant, but you can call me Shirou Emiya."

Sagara's eyes widened with surprise and the cigar that was in his mouth fell to the floor. As quick as the surprise had come however, it was gone. He picked up his cigar, wiped it off, and put it back into his mouth, letting a cloud of smoke blow through his nose. Assassin had not moved an inch.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

Sagara started chuckling. "Ah no, I just remembered that I forgot get a new lighter this morning. This one's almost outta fluid, you know?"

It was an obvious lie, but there was no telling what he was hiding, so I played along.

"Ha, that sucks. I'm sure you could go into town and find one if you tried."

"Yeah," he coughed. "I might just do that."

All attention was on our odd conversation, but I had no idea what made it so awkward in the first place. Nonetheless, Sagara steered the conversation away from me and back at Darnic.

"So, where would our rooms be? The trip here took a lot outta me and my Servant here, so we would like to rest our heads."

"The Homunculi here would be more than happy to show you to your room, and I guess it would be safe to assume that you won't be revealing your Servant's identity?" replied Darnic.

"Yep," said the blonde man flatly. "You guys will be my enemies after all once the Red Faction is destroyed after all."

Darnic only nodded in response and Sagara followed the Homunculi out of the room. Soon after that, all the Masters and Servants dispersed without out much conversation, save for Astolfo who waved everyone goodbye.

Fiore and I left as well to head back to our rooms. The only thing that we could do was talk and wait for Gordes and Saber to come back with Ruler, if they could accomplish that at all. So far the Red Faction had made no obvious moves, but even without being with the pair, I'm quite sure they will encounter the Red Faction along with Ruler as well.

As I pushed Fiore along in her wheelchair, she asked me a question in my mind.

" _Do you trust him?"_ she asked, referring to Sagara.

" _No," I responded immediately. "He's hiding something, but I'm not sure what. The way he reacted when he heard my name was unnatural. I'm not a hero from history, nor one from this timeline, so there is no way he should know me. The only possibility is that he knows the me in this timeline, but the chances of that are slim to none."_

Fiore brought a hand up to her chin and appeared to be deep in thought.

" _It's best we keep an eye on him. Especially that Assassin. I felt as if the air would freeze around him if he were to speak."_

I nodded in agreement and we finally returned to Fiore's room, but as I opened the door she stopped me.

"Wait. It's still pretty early and I'd hate to be cooped up in my room again. Besides that I have something I've been working on. Bring me to my workshop."

"Uh, sure. You mind me asking what it is?" I asked.

"Not at all. I'll show you once we get there. A little bit of a warning though, it's been a while since I've had the chance to clean so the room is most likely hell on earth in there." Fiore said all this with a guilty expression on her face.

"So even my Master gets a little lazy sometimes," I laughed.

"Oh hush," she pouted. "Ah, here it is."

We stopped at a door which looked no different from the rest, but as I wheeled her through the door frame, I marvelled at the sheer amount of paper and odd parts which covered every part of the room.

"My desk is over there. Do you mind?" asked Fiore.

"Of course not," I answered. I maneuvered her through the clutter and stopped as we approached the desk. She thanked me and began to organize herself amongst the mess while I took a second to look at everything once more. There were machinery parts, jewels, and stacks of books on magecraft, engineering, and such things as romance novels.

I guess everyone has their own way to spend their freetime.

"Ok, here we go."

I looked back as Fiore cradled a glove in her hand as if it were something precious.

"This is the Bronze Link Manipulator."

"A mystic code?" I asked, obviously intrigued.

Fiore's face lit up and she answered. "Precisely! It's taken a lot of time to work on this, but I think I've finally ironed out the kinks. With this, I'll be able to move about freely and also be quite combative and defensive at the same time."

This was very good. Fiore wouldn't need to stay back and could even take on the enemy Masters if need be.

"Well," I began. "Let's see it in action."

Fiore nodded her head triumphantly and I couldn't help but stare in awe at the activation of the newfound weapon before me.

. . . . . . . .

"Whoo boy did you see that hot bod?!"

Assassin watched as his Master, Hyouma Sagara, wiggled his hands through the air, most likely envisioning them sliding over the body of that young girl from earlier.

The Servant couldn't help but sigh.

While his Master had a natural knack for strategy and combat, his libido would probably be the death of them both.

"I'm gonna save her for the end of the war and make her mine. Then I'll have two Servants! Get it? I guess her being in a wheelchair only makes it easier!"

"Focus," boomed Assassin.

Sagara was torn from his lewd thoughts and back into reality. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie, which was followed by an "of course."

Assassin once again sighed. His Master's attempt at professionalism didn't work as well as he would've thought.

"So, what do we know?"

Assassin walked his way over to the window in the room and began the debrief.

"In terms of strategy and power, we are only matched by Darnic himself and maybe some of the others. I am extremely capable of taking them all out earlier on if you so wish. The only extreme issue we face as of right now are the other Servants, of both factions, and Lancer. His power is unmatched in his homeland and he has absolute loyalty from Darnic, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has something up his sleeve. We also have yet to meet Saber and their Master, which will most likely not be a problem if they return soon. The other faction are dangerous too at the moment."

"Because they are an unknown factor?" inquired Sagara.

"Precisely. The castle is well defended by armed guards and the walled city surrounding it. I'll take some time later on to set up defenses against enemy Servants in the city, but I suggest we not take too long. The other faction would have to come through the city or by air. The citizens of the city shouldn't be a problem either as they live in complete fear of those who reside in the castle."

Assassin began checking all of his weapons and explosives. The explosives have never led him wrong in life and should prove valuable in the defense of the city.

"What if enemy Servants are able to enter the city?" asked Sagara.

"They'll set off these explosives here and warn everyone in the castle. I advise that we stay back as much as we can and watch the others battle. Hopefully we can take out the enemy and dwindle the number of our 'teammates' slightly. Afterall, that'll be one less enemy later on."

Sagara nodded his head in agreement. "If our faction loses numbers and the others live, that'll lower our chance of defeating the other side. I think we should jump in at that point and maintain our numbers so that we atleast have a trade off and not a straight up loss."

"Of course," agreed Assassin. "I've taken counter-measures for at least four days in advance. We're safe for now, but we should only think of every possibility and situation we will face."

"I bet that Archer wasn't in your calculations though," smirked Sagara.

"No," grumbled Assassin. "He wasn't."

"Do you know him? He your long lost son or something like that?" asked Sagara.

Assassin lowered his head in thought, but only drew up blanks. "No."

"Well he's somehow related to you! Unless...maybe, he knows your identity already and is only fuckin' with you…"

"Not possible," retorted the Servant. "Everyone in my family is dead as far as I know and I never had a child. Shirou Emiya… Just who are you?"

The question hung in the air, but there was no answer.

. . . . . . . .

 _Back to the present…_

. . . . . . . .

Daylight had begun to peak over the horizon and the sky had started turning blue. The sun chased away any darkness that threatened to linger. That being said, the two heroes' fight raged on as if it had just started.

Siegfried let loose an attack of pure, honed power. The earth gave way to his power and the air around him recoiled in fear. The slash was sharper than any that had come before and blue light trailed behind. His target, the Lancer of Red, stabbed his weapon into the ground and the attack sent his way from Saber had turned volatile. The once pure, blue light had crackled and begun moving faster. That being said, as it reached its target, the light expanded and enveloped Lancer in a hot, fiery defeat.

Siegfried was smart enough to know better though.

From within the ball of flame, Lancer erupted and charged at Siegfried with the speed of near light. The earth beneath them was devastated as their weapons met. The momentum of the charge lifted Siegfried off the ground and into the air behind him.

For a split second, he saw a beautiful landscape covered in golden light, but the view was shattered by the figure of Lancer barrelling towards him once more.

Forced to defend once more, Siegfried was flung through the air and catapulted into the earth.

" _We were heroes…"_ he thought.

With his back to a rocky hill, Siegfried's eyes scanned his surroundings, waiting for the inevitable attack. It was a second of silence, but he couldn't hear anymore because his body was currently being bulldozed through the hill.

" _We were truth seekers and warriors…"_

Siegfried's body was being pelted by sharp stone and hot energy, but his enemy had yet to land a hit on him. As they exited through the broken earth, a large wave of molten flame accompanied them. Lancer was fast and his movements were a blur, but the swordsman could keep up.

He had to.

They were back on open ground and Lancer gave no time for Siegfried breath as he continued his onslaught of attacks.

" _Even after being granted a second life, we cannot escape this fate."_

Siegfried thrusted his sword forward and spun his body for a wide attack. His speed was incredible, even by Servant standards and even though his attack was blocked, he launched his body forward for a shoulder bash.

As Lancer was thrown backwards, his body twisted and bent unnaturally, but allowed for him to avoid the deadly downward slash which Saber let loose. Lancer's weapon spun between his fingers as if it weighed nothing and he continued his attacks. One thrust of his lance sliced through the flesh on Siegfried's face. The swordsman's upward attack kicked up dirt and power in its wake.

The warrior of the lance was launched through the air, but he could take this chance to breathe.

Likewise, Siegfried filled his lungs with air and propelled himself through the air to catch up to his enemy.

Lancer saw it coming and unleashed a wave of heat and fire. To the swordsman, he couldn't dodge it and he fell victim to the scorching assault. As his body and the fire fell to the earth, an explosion rang out which could pop the eardrums of any human within one hundred yards.

Gordes and Ruler could only watch the beautiful spectacle unfold.

Siegfried pushed himself off the ground as Lancer adversely touched back down to the ground. The swordsmen was bathed in blue light and he wiped away the blood which escaped from his wound from earlier.

"That lance of yours pierced through my armor…" said Siegfried.

As his finger wiped away any trace of blood, the evidence of his injury earlier was also gone without a trace.

"That technique… that legend… that hardship…" he smiled.

"I pay you my respects."

Lancer only let a "hmph" escape his straight lips. His face remained indifferent.

The sun had finally shown fully over the horizon and the battlefield rested for now.

Gordes turned to Ruler. "So you won't help at all?! Lancer is your enemy too!"

The woman only closed her eyes with the same type of indifference as the son of the Sun God. "It is as I stated earlier," she sighed. "I simply cannot interfere in a battle between Servants."

Gordes only growled in frustration before raising his eyes to the sky in a vain attempt to spot any sign of the enemy Master. "Show yourself to me you Mage's Association DOG! You're watching all of this aren't you?!"

He repeated the question, but only received his answer in the form of his distant echo.

He continued to growl and throw a tantrum as the battle continued.

Siegfried launched himself at Lancer, but Lancer only defended and looked off into the distance. After letting out a sigh, he turned back to his enemy and spoke.

"At this rate, we'll be battling till noon. While I'm alright with that, it seems that your Master is quite fed up with all of this."

Siegfried looked at his Master, then back at his enemy before lowering his weapon and breaking his stance. "My only wish is that we may fight to our hearts content in our next encounter."

Lancer nodded his head in agreement and expressed his thanks for having such a worthy opponent as his first. Then, just like that, he was gone, retreating into his spirit form. Ruler tried to stop him, but Lancer was already gone.

The woman sighed, but walked forward with a smile. "Amazing. That was a wonderful clash of warriors Saber of Black. It was my honor to watch such a battle."

Siegfried nodded and his Master stepped forward.

"Finally, now that that damned Lancer is gone, we can talk. Please, Ruler, come with us to Millennia Citadel."

"Negative," said Ruler, who was starting to grow agitated. "I am to remain impartial in the war."

"But," argued Gordes. "Our Lord's castle would be a prime place to survey and maintain the integrity of the war!"

"Thank you," she started. "However, my skills allow me to observe all of Trifas, so you need not worry."

Anger crept its way up Gordes face, but he was able to somehow choke it down and reply.

"If you insist. Saber! Let's go."

The Master stormed off towards the car which had just arrived at the scene and the Servant retreated into his spirit form.

Ruler watched the pair leave and started biting her lip, deep in thought.

" _This Great Holy Grail War is different somehow. I just can't figure out why… In any event, it must wait until I arrive in Trifas."_

She walked forwards, back towards the main road. Ruler was yanked from thought as she observed the remains of her suitcase, scattered amongst the road. She had forgotten about it until just now.

It was morning, she hadn't slept in a while, her clothes were absolutely in tatters and dirty, and she had no mode of transportation.

"Darn…" she sighed.

. . . . . . . .

First Contact

END

. . . . . . . .

 **Updates will be once a month, unless I feel like otherwise from now on. I hate to make you guys wait. Also, you might notice that some events are out of order, but it should all come together fine. Other than that, I started an In st ag ra m (wrote it like this so it won't get censored.) My username is unlimited(period)seiba(period)works. I'll post Fate memes and stuff like that, but it will also be an easier way to reach me if you need to. I accept fanart if you guys really want to make some too.**

 **Reviews:**

 **DoctorHayden: yep :3**

 **The Final Faux: Understandable. Have a nice day.**

 **Shade: Thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoy it!**

 **PrimedBlade141: I did that for a reason (which you pointed out) and it should work into the story if I can nail his character.**

 **Zero kami no mu: I know, but in this story there is not going to be a Jack the Ripper. Sorry.**

 **Luke1987: It pretty much is like his 2nd ascension, but he still has his red overcoat.**

 **ALSO! Thanks to Manu259 for reminding me about Shirou's Structural Grasping. I changed the scene so that Shirou just gets the blueprint of the castle and now knows his way around. It also really simplified my dumb method of markings and stuff.**

 **Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys in the next update!**


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